New CIC Tech Channel Ambassadors targets IT skills gap

Tech Channel Ambassadors (TCA), a new Community Interest Company (CIC), has been launched to promote the IT channel industry and improve inclusivity within the sector. The company's aim is to heighten awareness of IT careers among those in education, those returning to employment, and career changers. TCA seeks to boost the profile of the IT channel in order to enhance mutual success.

The UK's IT channel, which contributes approximately £50 billion to the economy, is facing a growth challenge due to staff shortages. TCA was created to help close the industry's prevalent skills gap which industries are spending around £1.5 billion a year to retain staff. The new CIC is targeting recruitment of about 100,000 people from diverse backgrounds including girls, BAME, disabled, neurodiverse and disadvantaged groups.

TCA also aims to debunk common misconceptions about the IT sector. For instance, it plans to clarify that less than 5% of roles in the industry involve coding and most jobs do not require proficiency in science and maths. Vendors, distributors, VARs, system integrators, and service providers are being invited to contribute to this effort and incorporate it into their ESG initiatives.

As part of their participation, TCA member companies will encourage their younger employees to serve as ambassadors who will go into educational institutions to present the sector positively, and inspire students to consider IT as a viable career. The company plans to provide supportive resources to its ambassadors.

The aim, evidently, is to forge a sustainable, strategic solution to the historical challenges the industry has faced in drawing sufficient diverse talent. To this end, TCA plans to work closely with organisations that support LBGTQ+, the BAME community, neurodiverse, people from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds, maternity leave returnees, and retirees looking to re-enter the workforce.

TCA's leadership committee includes Ian Kilpatrick, former EVP of Nuvias, Crayon's managing director Hayley Mooney, Distology CEO Hayley Roberts, Alex Tatham, an executive director at Westcoast, Lisa Roberts, Director of Channels and Alliances at Rubrik, Rebecca Monk, chief people officer at Softcat, and Wendy Shore from TCA.

The idea for TCA stemmed from Kilpatrick's frustrations with talent recruitment and retention. "We need more people in the IT industry, particularly women, and feedback is saying to get youngsters interested in the industry as early as possible - from primary school level," he says. He noted that multiple companies strive to hire and retrain talent, however, the trend of talent turnover remains, negatively impacting business growth and profits.

Kilpatrick stresses the need for a strategic approach to recruitment that encompasses schools, government and non-governmental organisations. He believes the channel has the capability to resolve the awareness and inclusivity issues impeding it. According to him, "We need a co-operative approach, across the channel to address the systemic failure to attract enough talent into the industry."

TCA plans to engage students through internships, industry partnerships, and real-world projects while providing networking chances with industry leaders, tech providers and business professionals. The Company will also liaise with school career advisors and government and NGOs to expand its network and awareness. "They just need to know this," says Kilpatrick, emphasising the breadth of career options in the IT industry, regardless of a student's background or academic strengths.