Poor IT education burdens half of Hong Kong's CIOs

The current IT pool is therefore not well-equipped to meet the demands of the workforce.

Hong Kong’s current talent IT pool cannot sufficiently address the rigorous demands of the workforce as half (47%) of chief information officers (CIOs) have expressed that the quality of the IT education is not meeting the standards of the profession and demands of future employment market, according to a survey commissioned by recruiter Robert Half. 

CIOs believe that educational providers should redirect their focus into key IT areas including software/application development (47%), digitisation (41%), IT security (35%), data/database management (31%) and business transformation (31%).

“Education systems and institutions play a key role, not just to guarantee a continuous influx of skilled IT professionals into the employment market, but also to help upskill existing staff. To keep pace with market demands, educators need to ensure their STEM qualifications, courses and degrees evolve at a similar pace as technology does,” said Robert Half Hong Kong managing director Adam Johnston. 

It comes as no surprise that as firms find the quality of IT education severely lacking, the survey indicated that nine in 10 (92%) of CIOs believe it is more challenging to find qualified IT professionals compared to five years ago. 

Education providers should thus tailor their services to areas that will generate the most jobs in the future including IT security (69%), software and application development (52%) and database management (41%). 

Johnston also pushes for a holistic approach wherein educational institutions work hand-in-hand with the business community and government to equip the talent pool with the in-demand skills for future employment market.