Microsoft has been making headlines of late for its proposal to bring in a number of new workers to its US offices from overseas to fill a number of open positions. Some people believe that Microsoft is simply trying to fill positions with cheaper labor, but Microsoft has denied these claims.
Today, Microsoft announced the results of a new study that it claims shows that the number of IT workers that are trained to work specifically on cloud-based systems are not enough to keep up with the current and future demand for these jobs. Microsoft says 1.7 million cloud-related IT jobs worldwide are currently open and waiting to be filled; that number will increase to as many as seven million open jobs by 2015.
Microsoft worked with IDC on the study who interviewed over 600 hiring managers around the world to obtain part of its results. The study also shows that two-thirds of all businesses either have some kind of cloud-based PC system in place, or plan to have one ready in the near future.
As you might expect, Microsoft says that the lack of training for many IT workers, along with their lack of certification and experience, are the main reasons all these cloud-based jobs have yet to be filled. Cushing Anderson, the program vice president for IDC, states:
Unlike IT skill shortages in the past, solving this skills gap is extremely challenging, given that cloud brings a new set of skills, which haven’t been needed in the past. There is no one-size-fits-all set of criteria for jobs in cloud computing. Therefore, training and certification is essential for preparing prospective job candidates to work in cloud-related jobs.”
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft