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Tech firms worried about skills gap

Posted on November 13th, 2013 Read time: 1 minutes

Although technology companies have plans to hire, many are concerned about a shortage of qualified workers. According to the National Survey of Technology, Policy and Strategic Issues, 63 percent of IT executives plan to hire in the next 12 months, yet 69 percent perceive a shortage of talent in the labor pool.

Despite the challenge of finding skilled tech employees, more businesses are optimistic and eager to expand. The survey, which was released by the Technology Councils of North America and Arizona Technology Council, found sentiment regarding business conditions improved modestly since last year. Furthermore, 59 percent of executives plan to invest in new products or business lines in the next six months.

Plans for expansion, however, may come at odds with labor shortages. New products or services could require assistance of more knowledgeable and experienced workers. One solution could be for hiring managers to find contract workers that can help out temporarily rather than search for permanent applicants. But in the long run, 41 percent of executives said the government should increase their support for science, technology, engineering and math education as a policy priority, which could help to boost the talent pool years down the line.

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