ICT Skills Shortage

One of the areas NZ faces a skill shortage in, is ICT. This is dangerous as so much of the ICT industry underpins the rest of the economy.

NZCS is reported as looking at how to reverse the industry’s skills shortage, declining student numbers in ICT courses and project failure rates, and has suggested a professional ICT certification programme.

They have a discussion paper on their website for those in the industry who have a view.

My view is that ICT does need to lift its game and be seen as just as much a profession as (for example) law or accountancy. That is not to say they are the same, but the results of unqualified advice from any of those sectors can be equally harmful to a business. The certification proposal looks a  worthy idea to me.