News in IT

Navtej Kohli encapsulates a recent study conducted by global think tank
XMG Inc., highlighting disparity in demand and supply of IT workforce
in the Philippines. Read the post Navtej Kohli IT blog below.

As IT sector is on a roll in the Philippines, the consequent shortage
of skilled IT manpower is expected to inflict a major blow on the
country’s potential economic growth. Industry soothsayers speculate a
substantial 35% annual growth in the Philippines’ Information
technology sector, which may create a wide chasm between the demand and
corresponding supply of IT workers.

A recent study unveiled some alarming facts, a few are enlisted below:


• Regardless of a stable 10% growth rate in the skilled IT labor, over
last five years, demand of workers is continually falling short of
supply.

• On one hand, where IT sector in Philippines is anticipated to grow by
whooping 35% in few years from now, the IT population is likely to grow
by meager 3%.

• Some key areas where demand for technical labor falls short of supply
are XML, VBScript, Python, VB.net, Perl and other programming languages
which virtually sustain the entire IT industry.


Though this disequilibrium is here to stay but the threat can be
abridged if the strategies are placed right and workforce needs are
gauged well in advance. Today, the need is to create a huge pool of
highly-educated and technically sound workers. The report also suggests
some corrective measures to the stakeholders so as the intensity of
risk can de reduced. Some of the key suggestions are:


• Schools and companies shall work in close coordination with each
other and the curriculum shall be lined up with the prevailing industry
needs.

• Comprehensive and frequent training to the existing workforce and
conceptualizing better ways to increase employee retention rate.

• Formulating comprehensive degree courses, vocational courses and more
training institutions, so as to reinforce the flagging technical labor
force.

Perhaps, in near future the situation can spill out of control, but the
study has elucidated some critical facts, that necessitate immediate
fortification of IT labor pool in the Philippines.


Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer