Data scientist jobs: Where does the big data talent gap lie?
Data science is one area of the digital sector that is desperately short of talent. In fact, IBM thinks data science will account for 28% of all digital jobs by 2020, but worryingly, the same report revealed that on average, each of these places remains unfilled for up to 45 days, because those applying just don’t have the required skillset.
“Machine learning, big data and data science skills are the most challenging to recruit for, and can potentially create the greatest disruption if not filled,” according to IBM’s The Quant Crunch report.
The European Commission thinks that 100,000 new data-related jobs will be created in the region by 2020, but the fact there are not enough people with the right skills to fill the role is certainly worrying.
The main reason why there aren’t enough data scientists to go round is that the demand for data analysis has grown so fast over the last few years, there simply aren’t enough people being trained to fill demand. The amount of data businesses are generating compared to even two years ago is staggering, and it’s growing fast, with Capgemini predicting the volume of data generated by businesses will increase 20,000-fold between 2000 and 2020. IDC thinks a mammoth 163 zettabytes of data a year will be generated by business by 2025.
There are more and more devices coming onto the market that scrape data, including wearables, smart home/office devices and that doesn’t even include the rising nuber of people using the internet to shop, interact with brands and more, generating business insights that are powering business decisions.
Although the amount of data is impressive and is a positive thing, what isn’t so positive is that data is useless without it being analysed and insights leading transformation. Without the manpower to work out what all of the information means, it’s pointless collecting the data in the first place.
The European Commission has made a commitment to try and fill the data scientist skills gap across the whole of Europe by running sessions exploring what businesses can do to try and make the problem less severe, addressing the demands of organisations and using the data they collect to gain key insights about their customers and how to grow their business.
Businesses are also starting to react to the country’s data scientist shortage and are collaborating with other firms and educational establishments to try and close the gap before it becomes too large to manage.
For example, data management and analytics firm SAS has teamed up with HSBC and the Data Lab to introduce an MSc course in Data Science for Business. The course will run at the University of Stirling and has been designed for those looking to start their career in data analytics. It teaches students how to use advanced analytics and apply these skills to real-life scenarios.
