Future trends in e-commerce: Concern over skills gap

DIGITAL skills shortages remains a  major concern to businesses in the North West, with many e-tailers having to find new ways to engage with potential employees.

The talent shortage is one of the major issues on which sector group Manchester Digital campaigns and is featured in our new e-commerce supplement, in association with NCC Group and law firm Pinsent Masons,which can be downloaded for free here.

Manchester Digital represents the  interest of the North West’s fast-growing digital sector and runs a number of events, initiatives and  projects designed to connect, enhance  and retain talent in this region.

Managing director Katie Gallagher  said that the shortage of digital skills remains a “major concern” for companies operating in the sector.

She explained: “Of the digital companies based in this region, 80% grew last year – but some of the  smaller businesses ended up turning  some work away.

“The reason for that is because they simply can’t cope with the volume of work available because they don’t have the personnel to take care of it.”

Manchester Digital is working closely  with companies in the sector – as well as universities and schools – to help  resolve this issue.

Gallagher added: “We’re in the process  of drawing up strategies to deal with this. Long term, we intend to lobby at the highest levels to ensure that the importance of the sector is known  about and also to change the way that digital education is taught in schools.

“At the moment, all the political parties are committed to apprenticeships – but it’s not always viable for some smaller digital companies to take these on.

“In addition, there remains an issue  surrounding work-readiness of some graduates emerging from university. But – nonetheless – good graduates will continue to be snapped up for the foreseeable future.”

The lack of digital talent outside Manchester prompted gaming giant BetFred to move its digital team from Wigan to the Sharp Project last year.