The AI skills gap is becoming incredibly troubling for companies everywhere

A new study by Red Hat has uncovered an urgent skills gaps that IT leaders across the UK are facing as they battle to keep up with technology trends.

Seven in 10 (72%) believe that AI skills need to be addressed promptly, as well as strategic thinking and business skills (73%) and cybersecurity skills (69%).

The study of 300 UK IT managers from large enterprises reveals that more than one-quarter (27%) believe a lack of talent is the number one challenge they face today, which highlights the urgency of addressing these skills gaps to enable organizations to remain current and competitive in a quickly changing landscape.

Major skills shortage threatening many businesses

Reduced employee downtime due to high workload, a lack of training budget, and siloed working environments were all identified as key reasons for the skills shortage, while others expressed concern about the complex software landscape that’s increasingly hard to keep up with.

The study also revealed that a significant portion of organizations possess the right systems, but lack the necessary skills to maximize their potential.

Although AI tools promise to improve productivity and save time, they require a huge amount fo forethought and groundwork in order to be at their most efficient.

“This survey highlights the classic challenge many individuals and businesses face: they don’t have enough time to implement the very changes that will save them time," noted Red Hat Senior Principal Software Engineer Holly Cummins.

Red Hat’s report underscores the pervasive nature of the skills gap across the IT landscape, including artificial intelligence, that needs to be addressed by a multifaceted approach.

Looking ahead, IT leaders say that greater training budgets, better technology platforms, and the ability to measure impact could all play a role in plugging the gap and optimizing enterprise performance.

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