How employers are finding (and keeping hold of) talented cyber security staff

The shortage of adequately skilled IT workers has been highlighted yet again with another piece of research.

Almost every tech employer surveyed said their industry was facing a skills shortage.

Just over half (51 per cent) of the workers questioned said that cybersecurity was included in their training, while almost a quarter (23 per cent) admitted they wouldn’t be confident in handling a cyber security attack if one were to occur now.

When employers do find talented talent with hard-to-come-by tech skills, they retain them by offering flexible working (60 per cent) and in-house training (50 per cent).

Additionally, over one-third of tech employers (37 per cent) are offering more training in coding to retrain and upskill employees.

Over half (55 per cent) said their company operates its own training programme for entry-level employees looking to be trained in a new area of their business, while 58 per cent of employers said they are retraining existing staff to address the skills gap.

Many felt the government hadn’t pulled its weight, with almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of employers claiming that the government had not invested enough in training the next generation.