Dimension Data warns that converged communication and IP telephony technologies render obsolete many previously key skills, such as those used in the network switching and routing environment. This exacerbates the real skills crisis, it says.
DiData Services GM Brent Flint says this "is not only a South African phenomenon as the demand for advanced technology skills is escalating rapidly throughout the globe".
"At an infrastructure level, IT environments are becoming more complex with the widespread adoption of converged communication and IP telephony technologies. These technologies cannot be maintained by legacy networking or infrastructure type switching and routing skills.
"This is further compounded by tertiary educational facilities not producing a sufficient supply of ICT trained skills to meet increasing demand," says Flint.
Although many organisations are investing in skills or learnership programmes to fast-track skills, recruiting young professionals presents a challenge as there is only a small pool of talented graduates available in the local market, he notes.
"Once the successful recruitment of graduates or learners has taken place, significant investment is required to develop their skills to enable recruits to meet growing market demands. This entails both formal accreditation and equally if not more importantly, project experience in complex implementations.
"A qualified and experienced ICT skill is then subject to the market demands and becomes a sought-after skill and subsequently highly mobile. It's an 'employees' market' and retaining key skills is challenging. If you are in demand globally, whether you're a graduate with only a year or a decade's experience, you can literally choose the best environment to work in anywhere in the world."
Perhaps mercifully, an attractive pay cheque is not all that top talent is looking for, says Flint. "The biggest motivator for many top technical professionals is to gain exposure to major projects and an opportunity to implement leading-edge technologies. Technical staff are not challenged by playing a reactive role and effecting remedial services. They find stimulation in being challenged by proactive and preventative maintenance programmes which include optimisation services, auditing and performance engineering."
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