It goes without saying that there is a huge demand for cloud computing expertise; in reality, supply still falls far short of demand. Organizations are having a harder time finding competent people who can manage, implement, protect, and optimize cloud-based solutions as they use more cloud technologies to update their IT infrastructure.
According to a recent survey, a staggering 98 percent of IT decision-makers claim that their firms are suffering from cloud skills gaps. One-third of respondents anticipate a major setback to their financial goals as a result of digital transformation projects lagging behind by an average of five months due to a lack of cloud expertise.
Why the Gap Exists
Several factors contribute to the cloud skills shortage:
- The widespread adoption of cloud services across all industry sectors has intensified the demand for professionals who can architect, implement and manage cloud environments. This surge in demand has outpaced the growth of the skilled workforce.
- The fast-paced evolution of cloud technologies leads to a constant need for updated skills. Developers, engineers, architects, security professionals, DevOps team members and more must continually learn and master new technologies. Many struggle to keep up with the latest developments, contributing to a widening gap in relevant expertise.
- Diverse cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) require specific skill sets. Finding professionals well-versed in all of the major cloud environments is a tall order.
- Cloud computing involves intricate configurations, security measures and optimization strategies. A variety of studies have found that the rapid deployment and provisioning of cloud technology has led to sharp rises in misconfigurations and other human errors.
- The lack of comprehensive university, college or vocational education programs for cloud computing poses a significant challenge. Cloud computing is a dynamic and continually evolving discipline, making it difficult to maintain an up-to-date curriculum. As a result, individuals seeking cloud computing expertise often resort to self-directed learning.