Brexit threatens UK IT prosperity

• Brexit uncertainty will cut off access to technology talent across a number of industries*
• Survey of leading** technology professionals highlights the impact of Brexit on the digital skills crisis

LONDON, 1st February 2018: UK organisations are suffering from a digital skills gap at every level and Brexit will further reduce Britain’s access to tech talent according to a new survey by graduate IT training and services provider Sparta Global.

The survey was completed by 88 leading technology professionals across a number of industries, including technology, finance and media. Of the 88 respondents, all admit their organisations are suffering skills gaps across the board: graduate level (38%), mid-level (55%) and management level (39%).

Software development was identified by 52% of respondents as a missing skill, making it the most sought after area of expertise. 40% recognised a gap in test automation skills, DevOps (38%), BA/PMO (19%) and manual testing (16%).

David Rai, CEO of Sparta Global comments: “This survey demonstrates that while Britain has seen exponential growth in digital innovation, a shortage in digital skills still threatens to derail the UK’s position as a dominant force in IT. A recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) indicates the digital skills gap is costing the UK economy £63 billion annually in lost GDP. In a post-Brexit future, the skills gap will widen even further if access to talent outside the UK becomes harder to obtain.”

Almost half of the survey respondents claim Brexit has already reduced access to talent from outside the UK. One in four contractors with a non-UK passport admitted that the post-Brexit threat of a more restrictive immigration policy had influenced their decision to leave the UK. An inability to import qualified workers from outside of the UK to bridge the country’s skills gap poses a danger to the UK’s future as a competitive place to set up a technology business or base a European hub.

David Rai continues: “As we move towards leaving the EU, and possible restrictions on overseas talent, it is crucial to address the way UK tech talent is cultivated in Britain. To enable the UK’s digital economy to flourish and drive its own recovery, government, businesses and educators need to work together to close the skills gap. Our survey highlights the need to take action in the way that we nurture UK technology talent and promote the industry as an exciting and fruitful career path for graduates’.

Sparta Global’s unique business model brings improvements to the vocational training of software engineers, bridging the skills gap between education and the workplace for IT graduates. Investing in a rigorous recruitment process and upskilling high-calibre graduates at its Sparta Academies, Sparta Global ensures its consultants are ready to be deployed onto client projects as soon as they graduate.

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*Industries surveyed: Technology (53%). Financial/Banking (17%). Media (7%). Other (7%). Retail (6%). Public Sector (5%). Charity (2%). Law (1%). Locations throughout the UK.

**88 professionals. Roles surveyed: Other (47%). Head of Test, Talent Partner, IT Systems Manager, Senior Test Lead, Technology Recruitment Manager, Testing/QA Manager (24%). Programme/Project Manager (16%). Head of Software Development (8%). CIO/CTO (6%).

About Sparta Global:

Sparta Global is a leading provider of technology and business Consulting Services for more than a hundred organisations throughout the UK. Sparta Global provides cross functional teams – with the relevant skills - to power short and long-term projects in a diverse range of industries: government and private sector organisations; fintech; insurance; media; retail; legal; travel; property and technology. The firm’s clients include private sector firms and government clients, including Channel 4, Three Mobile and the Ministry of Justice.

As part of its talent pool, Sparta Global invests in the recruitment of high calibre graduates, building them into high-performing consultants through its intensive training bootcamps at Sparta Global Academies in the areas of Software Development, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, DevOps, Project Management, Business Analysis, and SDET.

Contact Sparta Global for access to the digital talent you need to transform your business: www.spartaglobal.com/contact.

Media contact:
Annabelle Price
XL Communications
annabelle@xl-comms.com
Tel: +44 7557 569 238