The remaining three of the top six priorities are seen as equally important. They are service oriented architecture (SOA), web development and mobile computing.

But how have the numbers of staff within IT departments changed over the past year and what growth is expected in the next year?

Says Schofield: “Although this is good news, it does represent further pressure on the skills shortage in the ICT sector.”

The Department of Labour issued the National Master Scarce Skills list at the end of 2007, indicating that the ICT sector had been unable to fill 37 565 positions at that time.

“If the results of the survey were extrapolated across the whole sector, they would suggest a need for another 35 000 practitioners. This would mean that the “real” skills shortage going into 2009 can be as high as 70 000 practitioners – more than 25 percent of the current workforce.”

Training policies in most companies were shown to be inadequate – in fact, most companies do not have a designated individual in charge of training and skills development.

“It is interesting to note how few companies have a specific training function in their structure,” notes Schofield. “In many cases, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the line manager. While it may be argued that this person is aware of the needs of the staff within his/her control, it is more likely that the manager will have difficulty in granting time for training, against the pressures of deadlines and delivery schedules.”

As part of their solution, companies could look to find new recruits overseas. However, the survey revealed that that is not a popular option as “over 80 percent of companies do not recruit overseas”.

Practitioner responses

The corporate perspective in the survey was balanced with a view of the current skills capacity of practitioners and their intentions for future skills development. The average individual interviewed is 35, male, a manager, developer or programmer, based in Gauteng, with ten years’ IT experience but less than five years with their employer.

The results showed that on average, each respondent reports being involved in five activities, requiring a range of relevant skills and experience.

“One dominant characteristic is that very, very few respondents are focused on a single area of activity,” says Sheffield. “Almost all report that they carry out a range of functions, requiring a range of relevant skills and experience. On average, each respondent reports being involved in five activities.”

In the technical activities arena, many practitioners report that they are carrying out most of the systems development lifecycle functions, from developing requirements to testing. “This suggests that there is a lack of attention to “governance”, through the checks and balances expected from separation of duties,” notes Schofield.

Over 90 percent of respondents find on-the-job experience and mentoring the best way to acquire skills. Certification comes next, reported by around 80 percent of practitioners, either through a vendor programme or through completing certificated short course training.  “Both these responses indicate a close relationship between the acquisition of skills and the work environment,” says Sheffield. “It’s worth noting that the employers were less enthusiastic about certifications than the employees.”

However, the extent of the “real” skills gap going into 2009 is such that it will not be closed by retention policies or in-work skills development programmes alone. “The solution lies in the industry working together to make ICT careers more attractive to young people, in the education system devoting more resources to a relevant curriculum and in a serious investment in new entrants who will become the lifeblood of a successful and sustainable South African ICT sector,” concludes Schofield.