By Justin Sayles
PBN Staff Writer
The exodus of young people from Rhode Island has been keenly felt in the state’s information-technology sector.
IT professionals and economic development officials are trying to tackle the problem, believing that the state’s economy and the health of the industry are in part tied to the issue.
A recent report released by the Tech Collective says that many employers in the IT sector are looking for workers who not only possess skills in networking and system development, but also proficiency in areas including communication, project management, research and vendor management.
And according to Tech Collective Director Kathie Shields, they’re having problems finding those skills out there.
The report, which surveyed employers in the sector and involved more than 70 representatives in business, non-profit and academic sectors, showed that 54 percent of employers felt that they were understaffed. The rest said that they were “adequately staffed” – zero said that they were “overstaffed.”
More than 80 percent said that they were hiring mid-level positions – a class including software engineers, network administrators and database designers – but 54 percent said they sought entry-level positions, including Web master and help-desk support, while 36 percent were looking for senior management help such as network analysts and system architects.
When asked precisely what skills they sought, their answers touch upon an array of abilities. Desired skills included:
• Project/Program Management (73 percent)
• Networking (57 percent)
• Help desk/user support (55 percent)
• Convergence (43 percent)
• Business analysis (42 percent)
• Security (38 percent)
• Database management (38 percent)
• Application development (38 percent)
• Enterprise architect (34 percent)
• Strategist/internal consultant (31 percent)
Shields said that the inability to hire for these positions is largely rooted in the shallow hiring pool that employers are forced to choose from.
“We hear things from our employers like they post an opening … and they’re not getting the responses they need for those positions,” she said.
Part of that is rooted in the so-called “brain drain.” Shields said that a great number of local young people that possess these skills complete their education in Rhode Island but leave the state, either because of job opportunities or a more-favorable economic climate.
And other factors are feeding the problem aside from the “brain drain.” Chief among them, Sheilds said, is a lack of an “experiential-learning process” – one that gives young people hands-on experience in the IT field to pique interest in the sector.
So what are the solutions to the problems?
The Tech Collective report outlines three ways Rhode Island’s IT sector can strengthen its hiring pool. Two of the proposed solutions deal with training and education.
The third proposed solution looks to employers, calling on them to create more “quality work experience” opportunities. This includes making opportunities such as internships, field experience and job shadowing more available to students at the high school and college levels.
Shields said that she has seen a shift toward tackling the skill gap in the state, a push that has come from both governmental and business interests. For its part, Tech Collective is looking to play a greater role in business development.
“I really feel like we’re in a strong position … to be able to be a conduit to bring all these vested interest groups together to make something happen,” Shields said. •
