One of the areas looked at in depth at the two-day Digital 2015 event being held this week at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport is the skills gap and what can done to attract more people into the digital sector.

This week's big question focusses on that very area.

Mark Edwards, technical director, Capital Network Solutions

There is already a big shortage of cyber security skills which is growing every year as demand increases and supply falls. A recent Global Workforce Survey by ISC2 shows that there is a predicted shortfall of almost 100,000 cyber security professionals in Europe in 2015, rising to almost 350,000 in 2019. In Wales it is a challenge to retain such talent when demand and salaries elsewhere are so high.

David Sadler, head of IT & Digital Recruitment, Acorn, Newport

It is estimated that Wales is only producing some 10 per cent of the software engineering, IT and digital graduates it will require. This needs tackling head on through a combination of short-term measures to ensure employers across Wales have enough of the skills they need, and longer-term to ensure Wales remains a great place for tech firms (and other firms reliant on good IT support) to locate to, to grow, and to thrive. In this climate of scarce skills, working daily with a large number of employers we’ve developed other methods to support our recruitment activity. This includes our ‘IT Bootcamps’, which is a programme of intensive training courses in IT roles, such as software development, testing and cyber security – helping the right candidates upskill for their next role and supporting employers by increasing the pool of work-ready, technically-able applicants. We’re also working on a number of IT apprenticeships and we extend our candidate search activity with promotion of vacancies through our Acorn Global Division. For the longer-term, we’re engaging fully with a range of tech hubs across the region to ensure we are fully tuned in to the issues and opportunities across the sector that lie ahead. And by continuing to work closely with employers, innovators, education and the Welsh Government, we hope ultimately to ensure Wales is seen as a centre for IT, tech and digital significance, on a global level. But we need to start producing home-grown skills in greater numbers without delay.

Kelvin Jones, managing director, Accelero Digital

With businesses demanding more sophisticated software, the skills shortage is a pressing concern for our industry. With rapid application development tools like our EnGenero platform, complex areas of development can be dealt with consistently, enabling software developers to make more of their skills and deliver products aligned to clients’ needs.

Kris Davies, operations director, Liberty Marketing

There are three main challenges facing the digital sector:

1. Experience – although the digital sector has begun to mature there is still a lack of commercial experience in the job market with most candidates presenting less than five years’ experience. Senior, and strategic roles are even more difficult to fill with adequately skilled staff. Many employers struggle to manage digital staff as they themselves do not have the requisite knowledge or experience to effectively drive, monitor and evaluate their performance.

2. Knowledge – always a challenge in the digital sector, staying on top of the newest developments and gaining hands on experience of successfully delivering them is a constant struggle for digital professionals. This is fuelled by employers who do not adopt new technologies, tools and techniques being created by the digital sector. The shear pace of change and lack of first-hand experience also hinders skills development in the short term. In order to survive in the digital industry you simply cannot stop learning or challenging your beliefs and methods. Best practise quickly becomes outdated and if you are still implementing techniques a few years old you are likely to cause more harm than good.

3. Opportunity – the number of opportunities to work on truly innovative projects are few and far between with most only scratching the surface of their potential. Although there has been a growth in the number of dedicated digital personnel, many industries still fail to see the opportunities in embracing a digital focus and instead rely on outdated marketing techniques. This narrows the number of projects or employers that can offer digital professionals the opportunities they need to grow and develop the sector.