Little Boxes

Indeed, while the popular image of a hack may be one of secret hooch bottles in draws, a snarky telephone manner and a pseudo-nihilistic outlook on life, the reality could hardly be more different. Our desks don't have draws, for instance.

Why am I talking about this? Because in journalism, as in financial markets, misanthropists need not apply. People are the key to making my industry work, just as they are in yours, and the universal discussion from Sydney to San Francisco, London to Lisbon and anywhere else is around people.

Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Mack Gill, CEO of MillenniumIT, who spoke about the unique opportunity they have to recruit the cream of the crop, given their position as a technology firm in Sri Lanka. In New York, the situation is quite different, and competition for talent can be outrageously fierce. Others sponsor universities, run academies, provide training and allow their staff to develop their skills. Some even give their technology staff free afternoons to run skunkworks and essentially play mad scientist for a few hours.

But are the skills meeting modern challenges? Some bank executives I speak to, ones involved in technology and operations at least, bemoan the fact that while graduates might understand the theory of modern data issues, as an example, they're not au fait with the particulars enough. That's not necessarily a deal breaker ─ likening it back to journalism again, a cub reporter fresh from j-school will take years to develop her own brand of interviewing and writing. Likewise, the basic skills are provided by the insitution, and honed by the organization.

Many claim that it's not enough, though, and the demands of modern technology divisions are so complex that newbies need a working practical knowledge as well as an academic one. Others also say that modern courses aren't tailored enough, and that the ones focused on things such as trading technology don't get nearly enough support.

This in itself isn't the end of the world, and most people are firm believers in hiring talent, training ability. But the skills gap is highly noticeable when it comes to areas such as cybersecurity. When a 15-year-old kid with a slaved botnet and a penchant for dramatic goth rock is more advanced than your Ivy League analyst, there's a problem.

Education, after all, is more than just learning the ropes so you can pull in a good pay check. It's about preparation, research and advancement ─ and the skills gap, according to many, is only getting wider.

If you'd like to chat about the quality of new grads coming into the industry, about skills gaps or about where education could be improved, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail, or give me a call on +44207 316 9811.