The anticipated increase in manpower demand within the UAE’s information and communications technology (ICT) industry is facing some challenges, primarily a shortage of critical skill sets, according to a recent study.

The Workforce Planning Study, commissioned by Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and conducted by Deloitte, surveyed more than 2,400 students across 17 markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, alongside a cross-section of companies.

About 60 per cent of the companies surveyed indicated that product development skills are the most lacking among mid-level employees within the technology sector.

Meanwhile, 80 per cent reported customer analytics and data mining as the top skills in demand in the telecommunications sector and 71 per cent of the companies surveyed from the media sector felt that advertising sales skills are most lacking.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, managing director of DIAC and Dubai Knowledge Village, said: “DIAC’s Workforce Planning Study is a useful tool in enabling us to better support Dubai’s substantial industry growth. The survey findings enable us to directly inform the market about skills gaps and trends in the growing ICT industry, allowing it to confidently prepare for the future.

“We see an important role for us in bridging the gap between industry and academia, and we will continue on our mission to close the skills gap which, if not addressed, could significantly hinder Dubai’s economic growth.”

The study also revealed that IT strategy is the most crucial skill gap within the technology sector, particularly among mid-level and senior professionals. For entry level employees in the ICT sector, customer service skills were felt to be the most underrepresented.

Leading IT research firm Gartner found that IT spending in the Mena region surged 5.5 per cent year-on-year to $192.9 billion last year and the DIAC Workforce Planning Study revealed that ICT growth spending in the UAE is projected at a growth rate of 4.66 per cent, so the skill gap is only going to widen if without the necessary educational opportunities and training schemes in place.

“Many of our universities offer degrees in fields related to the ICT sector. Supporting sector-specific education is an important step towards addressing the skill set shortage issue we are currently facing,” said Dr Kazim.

About 57 per cent of respondents surveyed for the study said that social media will be a key focus for their future communication plans.

Digital marketing is on the rise, and organisations are increasingly focusing on social media as a key component of their strategy, with outsourcing continuing to register double-digit growth. New segments such as smart systems and cloud computing are becoming more widespread, calling for greater specialist skills than ever before, it said.

IDC recently released a report forecasting 43.7 per cent annual growth for cloud based service in the UAE through to 2016.

“Dubai is rapidly transforming into a smart city and leading ICT destination. It is with this in mind that we have devised the Industry and University Partnership (I-UP) Forum. The inaugural event will take place in December and will bring together professionals from universities, industry, and government departments to discuss potential collaborations, partnerships, research, and business development opportunities, with the ICT sector as a key discussion point,” said Dr Karim.

“As the Education Cluster, we are dedicated to bridging the gap between industry and academia, and hosting event such as this is our way of laying the groundwork for a robust framework that will help Dubai and the UAE achieve its goals of building a knowledge-based economy,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service