Sign up for the ITPro Today newsletter
Stay on top of the IT universe with commentary, news analysis, how-to's, and tips delivered to your inbox daily.
CIOs Must Take Lead to Address IT Skills Gap
A strategic approach lets chief information officers effectively address the IT skills gap by leveraging the expertise of internal talent and offering paths for career progression and upskilling.
1 Min Read
Alamy
The chief information officer is at the forefront of addressing a critical issue impacting nearly all organizations today: the IT skills gap.
Providing a clear career path for IT professionals is essential, with many IT workers seeking continuous skill development and staying current with the latest technologies.
CIOs must therefore not only focus on acquiring talent but also on retaining it by offering growth and development opportunities. This involves competing with tech companies that offer more attractive experiences and career development paths, as well as large outsourcing providers that offer broader skill development opportunities.
Sarika Attal, vice president of enterprise architecture, tech services and store platforms and interim CTO for pizza chain Papa Johns, explains that CIOs are responsible for not only their team members' work but also their growth.
"Through understanding where their teams stand and the problems they face, it's our job to help connect the two and lay out a feasible plan to help find solutions while encouraging the growth of employees," he says.
At Papa Johns, space is made for ongoing learning and training opportunities on the platforms they use. "For example, during conferences like Google Next, we have a community of architects and engineers block calendars and attend live sessions," Attal says.
Read more about:
InformationWeekAbout the Authors
You May Also Like
