Nearly two thirds of tech leaders fearful for the future as skills gap adds to technology pressures

London, UK, February 24, 2022

News facts

• Fujitsu’s Mastering Modernisation research reveals 75% of tech leaders struggling to modernise IT
• Skills shortages and technical debt add more pressure to a growing list as the great resignation intensifies

Despite the world leaning on technology to keep people connected through nearly two years of a global pandemic, three quarters of technology leaders admit to being concerned about the expanding skills gap and are struggling to keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape.

Although there has been a push towards more cloud and digital investments to help overcome many of these barriers, a huge 73% believe that cloud technology has created more complexity, and 70% think cloud technologies mean they have less control. And this is creating huge leadership anxiety, so much so that 60% of senior technology leaders are now fearful of their own future in the workplace, as they lack the competencies needed to control current systems.

The results, obtained in a survey by Fujitsu for its Mastering Modernisation research, which surveyed 330 CIOs and IT decision-makers in the UK, come at the height of the ’Great Resignation’ - a phenomenon that sees record numbers of people leaving their jobs as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, just as demand for technology skills reaches a peak.

In an already highly pressured environment, where tech skills are in high-demand, two thirds (64%) believe it’s almost impossible to hire the talent needed to achieve digital transformation, with a further 72% thinking the skills gap has increased over the last 12 months.

Even with leaders believing technology is the key to success, some industries are faring better than others. It’s perhaps no surprise that the healthcare sector, which has been hugely disrupted by the pandemic, has a reported backlog of 43% of modernisation projects (much higher than the 29% sector average) and has fallen behind the curve when it comes to digitally transforming to get ahead.

Yet there is light at the end of the tunnel; 88% of tech leaders believe that technology will make them more resilient in the potentially difficult period ahead - with 91% feeling confident that technology is driving real change. And as our reliance on technology continues to increase, every industry must have access to digital transformation if the UK is to remain competitive on a global stage.

Speaking about the survey, John Pink, Managing Director, Private Sector at Fujitsu, said:
“The UK has done incredibly well to adapt over the last two years, and tech leaders have played a huge role in this - catapulting technology to the top of the agenda to enable businesses, communities and individuals to thrive."

“However, this does come at price. The world is moving at an extraordinary pace and the organisations who migrated to cloud just to stay afloat must now modernise fully to meet the demands of their citizens and consumers, which are ever-changing. This means businesses need to find the right balance of cloud technologies and tackle the technical debt that’s holding them back. "

“And with 83% of tech leaders surveyed relying on technology companies to keep them relevant, having the right team and a trusted, neutral party on your side to help you keep plans and execution on track is a winning strategy.”

To read more about Fujitsu’s Mastering Modernisation report, please visit the website . Click here to view the infographic.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Methodology
Third-party research of 330 CIOs and decision-makers in the UK was carried out by third-party research agency Vitreous World in September 2021.

• Date: February 24, 2022
  City: London

Media contacts

• Hannah Thornley
  Phone: + 44 (0)20 7861 2800
  E-mail: teamfujitsu@harvard.co.uk
  Company: Harvard
• Graham Goulden
  Phone: + 44 (0)208 052 4803
  E-mail: graham.goulden@uk.fujitsu.com
  Company: Fujitsu
  Ref:02/22