After a tumultuous 2023 marked by job cuts at big tech companies, the outlook for UK IT professionals is likely to be more positive in 2024. Tech workers looking for new positions may find a special need for AI and cloud expertise, as well as a special need for AI and cloud expertise. Gain soft skills in communication and managing teams.
Is there a shortage of IT talent in the UK?
The UK has a chronic IT skills shortage There are around 2 million people working in technology in the UK, but there is still demand for more talent.
According to UK government figures, the level of “skill shortage vacancies” (i.e. positions that cannot be filled because applicants lack skills, qualifications or experience) in the information and communications sector is very high; it has climbed from an already high 25% in 2017 43% by 2022 (the last year for which data are available). And there’s plenty of evidence that IT skills shortages persist.Although the severity of the shortage varies from year to year, it is clear that the UK will need more skilled workers in the long term
Research from Amazon Web Services 2023 found that more than two-thirds (68%) of UK businesses are finding it challenging to recruit the number of staff they need, with 45% saying this is due to a shortage of qualified applicants. Another recent survey by Gigged.AI found that 91% of UK respondents faced a technical skills shortage to some extent; around a third (34%) said they faced a large to very large scale Massive technical skills shortage.
What will be the most in-demand tech jobs and skills in the UK in 2024?
The most popular tech jobs in the UK
LinkedIn’s 2024 job growth rankings have six technology jobs among the top 25 hottest vacancies in the UK.
- Artificial Intelligence Engineer (#7 on LinkedIn list).
- Security Operations Center Analyst (#10).
- Cybersecurity Manager (#11).
- Cybersecurity Architect (#15).
- Data Governance Manager (#16).
- Data Engineer (#25).
Other positions in the top 25 are also technology-related, such as sustainability manager at No. 1, Chief Revenue Officer at No. 4, and Demand Generation Manager at No. 8.
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According to recruitment firm Robert Half’s 2024 Annual Salary Guide research, the most popular permanent technology jobs in the UK are:
- Full-end developer.
- ERP/CRM engineer.
- Information Technology Supervisor.
- Cloud infrastructure engineer.
- Cybersecurity analyst.
According to Robert Half, the most popular contract technology jobs in the UK are:
- ERP/CRM implementation project manager.
- Infrastructure Manager.
- Network engineer.
- Frontline support.
- Second line support.
The most popular technical skills in the UK
Robert Half research shows that the most scarce technical skills in the UK in 2024 are:
- Cloud computing, including Amazon Web Services, Azure and Google Cloud.
- Microsoft News.
- Network Kit.
- sap.
- Python.
- SQL.
There is also interest in cybersecurity, machine learning and artificial intelligence, data processing and storytelling (including manipulation and visualization), Kris Harris, regional director of UK technology solutions at Robert Half, told TechRepublic in an email. Additionally, user experience design and cloud knowledge remain popular skills among employers. He said there has been a slight decline in local infrastructure and networking skills, mostly replaced by cloud knowledge.
“The increase in cloud-based resources also reduces the need for data center operators and people with physical machine management capabilities. Going forward, as we move to more data, network and cloud needs, we may also see The need for traditional network engineering/systems management has declined,” Harris said.
What are the highest paying IT jobs in the UK?
Chief Information Officers top the list of the highest paid IT jobs in the UK, with many paying between £105,000 and £176,000; however, Chief Technology Officers, Chief Information Security Officers and Chief Architects all have similar salary ranges depending on the size of the organization. In comparison, front-end developers can expect to earn between £44,000 and £76,000, according to Robert Half.
What is the future for UK IT jobs in 2024 and beyond?
Harris said demand for skilled technical resources remains high, driven primarily by small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Enterprise platform enhancements, data optimization, and continued demand for business technology advancements will continue. We are currently seeing industries such as SaaS, education, healthcare, financial services, and retail, as well as governments, investing in technology development, and we expect this Things are not going to change anytime soon,” he said.
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Recruitment firm Nash Squared says an emerging trend that’s likely to become more common in the coming years is part-time jobs. This essentially means an individual works as a freelancer or contractor but has a range of part-time tasks.
Andy Heyes, managing director UK&I and Central Europe at Harvey Nash, said: “This is an established pattern in certain senior roles, such as some CISOs or CIOs, but it is starting to spread further down the workforce hierarchy to Include more entry-level positions.” , part of Nash Squared.
“By hiring partial supervisors, companies can apply their expertise more precisely, increase efficiency, and reduce resource costs. For many companies, it’s just a matter of finding an experienced professional who has the scars and bruises of doing it. Injuries, knowing where the pitfalls are, and strategies that have been proven to work, can in itself save a lot of time, money, and reduce risk,” he told TechRepublic in an email. He said that while it was still relatively rare in the UK, it was more common in Europe.
What tech skills should you learn in 2024?
Tech is a rapidly evolving industry, which means what’s hot now may not be as exciting to employers in a few years. However, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity are likely to continue to create steady demand in the coming years. It’s also worth paying attention to the list of top programming languages: Python, C, C++, Java and C# are currently the most popular languages among developers, according to the TIOBE index.
It’s also important to remember that soft skills are crucial when considering a career change, and building on them will help future-proof your resume. According to Robert Half, the soft skills most in demand among tech workers are communication skills, stakeholder management and people management. Additionally, IT leaders say it can be difficult to find candidates with strategic thinking and business skills, so this may be an area where you can stand out.
