IT teams are struggling to find skilled talent in AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity, as highlighted in Skillsoft’s 2024 IT Skills and Salary Report. The report reveals that businesses are planning substantial investments in AI and machine learning for 2025 while also recognizing the necessity of building internal expertise in these areas and recruiting talent in cybersecurity.
Orla Daly, CIO at Skillsoft, emphasized the critical need for organizations to adopt proactive skill-building initiatives, particularly as AI technologies are increasingly integrated into workplace operations and the need for cybersecurity expertise rises. The survey included over 5,100 IT decision-makers and professionals worldwide, aiming to identify technology investment priorities and challenges in hiring skilled workers.
The top areas for IT investment in 2025 include:
- AI and ML: 47%
- Cybersecurity: 42%
- Cloud Computing: 36%
- Infrastructure and Systems: 33%
- Leadership Skills: 28%
- Data Analytics/Management: 25%
The report suggests that 2024 will be a year for organizations to strategize their AI implementations more thoughtfully and align them with business goals. While there is a shift in focus, a significant number of IT professionals (19%) believe that organizational objectives could be at risk due to skill gaps, with 65% reporting ongoing deficiencies in their teams and 56% expecting these gaps to persist in the coming one to two years.
When queried about the most challenging technology areas for talent acquisition, respondents cited:
- Cybersecurity: 38%
- Technical Support: 22%
- Cloud Computing: 22%
- Data Science: 22%
- AI and ML: 20%
Fast-paced technological changes are viewed as a major barrier (37%), alongside the competition for candidates with the required skills (43%). Additional factors contributing to the challenge of filling these roles include inadequate investment in training (34%), employee retention issues (31%), and competitiveness in salary offerings (30%).
Overall, Skillsoft’s report underscores a pressing need for organizations to bolster their training programs and rethink their talent strategies to keep up with evolving technology demands and ensure that their workforce is equipped with the necessary skills.
For further insights, you can refer to the Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary Report.