1. IT Trends Report 2019: United Kingdom
Skills for Tech Pros of Tomorrow
Conducted by C White Consulting
December 2018

2. © 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Study Overview
Areas of discussion
How equipped do tech pros feel with their current IT skillset to manage the emerging technologies of tomorrow?
In which areas are tech pros already upskilling today and/or know they should be upskilling today?
How often do tech pros find the time to participate in upskilling (skills training and/or career program development) and from what primary source?
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

3. © 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Study Overview
Respondent demographics
22% of respondents were from MSPs/MSSPs
174 technology practitioners, managers and directors in the United Kingdom from public- and private-sector small, mid-size, and enterprise organisations participated in a December 2018 online study.
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4. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Tech pro confidence in having all the necessary skills to successfully manage IT environment for next three to five years
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings other than slightly higher percentage of public sector “somewhat confident” (72%)
Of tech pros surveyed, over one-third are somewhat unconfident or completely unconfident (combined) about having the necessary skills to do so. By business size, a larger percentage of small business tech pros are somewhat unconfident or completely unconfident (combined) when compared to their mid-size and enterprise counterparts (respectively).
Tech pros surveyed represent the 70% of all tech pros who are not “completely confident” in having all the necessary skills to successfully manage their IT environment for the next three to five years.
Q: How confident are you that you already have all the necessary skills to successfully manage your IT environment for the next three to five years?
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5. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Most important technologies for organisation’s technological transformation over next three to five years
#6 by weighted rank
#4 by weighted rank
#1 by weighted rank
#3 by weighted rank
#5 by weighted rank
“Other” responses (N=5): no noteworthy mentions
By weighted rank, cloud/hybrid IT is also the most important technology, followed by SIEM and/or threat intelligence and automation and/or orchestration. Across business size, the top three (by weighted rank) remain the same for small business tech pros while mid-size and enterprise tech pros (respectively) rank number one the same as overall, followed by number two, and number three in reverse order.
#2 by weighted rank
Nearly 85% of tech pros surveyed indicate that cloud (public, private, or mix of both) and/or hybrid IT (mix of cloud and on-premises) is one of the top five most important technologies needed for their organisation’s technological transformation over the next three to five years, with 44% listing cloud/hybrid IT as their most important technology.
Q: What are the five most important technologies needed for your organisation’s technological transformation over the next three to five years? [choose up to 5 in prioritised order]
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6. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Technologies tech pros feel unequipped to successfully implement/manage with current skillset
“Other” responses (N=3): no noteworthy mentions
By business size, enterprise tech pros mirror the overall top three findings while mid-size tech pros have the same top three as overall in a slightly differing order. Small business tech pros feel most unequipped to successfully implement/manage machine learning and/or deep learning, followed by artificial intelligence and big data analytics. A larger percentage of small business tech pros feel unequipped for each technology compared to their mid-size and enterprise counterparts (respectively).
Over half of tech pros surveyed indicate that artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and machine learning and/or deep learning (respectively) are one of the technologies they feel unequipped to successfully implement and/or manage given their current IT skillset.
Q: Based on your current IT skillset, which of the following technologies do you feel unequipped to successfully implement and/or manage? (choose all that apply)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

7. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Skills tech pros have worked to develop over past 12 months to better manage daily operations
“Other” responses (N=3): no noteworthy mentions
Only three percent of tech pros did not work to develop a skill over the past 12 months because they feel they already possess ALL needed skills. Along with the top two overall, small business tech pros also worked to develop their coding and scripting, database management, and network management skillsets.
Over the past 12 months, nearly half of tech pros surveyed have worked to develop their hybrid IT (mix of cloud and on-premises) deployment, monitoring, and management skills to better manage their day-to-day IT environment and its needed disciplines (IT Ops, DevOps, SecOps, and/or outsourced services (MSP/MSSPs), followed by system and infrastructure management and security management skills (such as SIEM, policies, compliance) (43% and 41%, respectively).
Q: Which of the following skills have you worked to develop over the past 12 months in order to better manage your day-to-day IT environment and its needed disciplines (such as IT Ops, DevOps, SecOps, and/or outsourced services (MSP/MSSPs)? (choose all that apply)
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8. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Skills tech pros need to develop over next three to five years to better manage daily operations
“Other” responses (N=0)
Public sector IT pros: no sig difference from overall findings
By business size, small business and enterprise tech pros (respectively) reflect the top overall findings in a slightly differing order (respectively) with small business tech pros also including containers and database management within their top skillsets needed. Mid-size tech pros reflect the top two overall findings, followed by the need to develop their system and infrastructure management skillset.
Over the next three to five years, 55% of tech pros surveyed need to develop their security management skills (such as SIEM, policies, compliance) to better manage their day-to-day IT environment and its needed disciplines (IT Ops, DevOps, SecOps, and/or outsourced services (MSP/MSSPs), followed by their data science and analytics skillset and their hybrid IT deployment, monitoring, and management skills (47% and 43%, respectively).
Q: Which of the following skills will you need to develop over the next 3-5 years in order to better manage your day-to-day IT environment and its needed disciplines (such as IT Ops, DevOps, SecOps, and/or outsourced services (MSP/MSSPs)? (choose all that apply)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

9. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Top career development goals for tech pros over next three to five years
#1 by weighted rank
#2 by weighted rank
#5 by weighted rank
#4 by weighted rank
#3 by weighted rank
“Other” responses (N=3): no noteworthy mentions
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings
By business size, the top three (by weighted rank) remain the same for enterprise tech pros while small business tech pros rank number one and number two in reverse order, followed by IT security protocol and/or processes. Mid-size tech pros rank technology innovation as number one, data analytics and/or data science as number two, and strategic planning as number three.
#6 by weighted rank
Six out of ten tech pros surveyed indicate that technology innovation is one of their top three career development goals over the next three to five years, with 28% listing it as their number one career development goal. By weighted rank, technology innovation is also the number one career development goal, followed by strategic planning, and management/leadership skills (people management).
Q: What are your top 3 career development goals over the next 3-5 years? [choose up to 3 in prioritised order]
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

10. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Most important technologies needed for tech pro career development/advancement over next three to five years
#1 by weighted rank
#4 by weighted rank
#2 by weighted rank
#6 by weighted rank
#3 by weighted rank
“Other” responses (N=1): no noteworthy mentions
Public sector IT pros: #1 and #2 same as overall, #3 SIEM and/or threat intelligence
By business size, the top 3 (by weighted rank) remain the same as overall for enterprise tech pros while mid-size tech pros rank #1 and #3 the same as overall and replace #2 with Internet of Things (IoT). Small business tech pros rank #1 the same as overall, followed by #2 Internet of Things (IoT) and #3 security and information event management (SIEM) and/or threat intelligence.
#5 by weighted rank
Two-thirds of tech pros surveyed indicate that “cloud (public, private, or mix of both) and/or hybrid IT (mix of cloud and on-premises elements)” is one of the top 5 most important technologies needed for their career development/advancement over the next 3-5 years, with 32% listing cloud/hybrid IT as their most important technology. By weighted rank, cloud/hybrid IT is also the most important technology, followed by automation and/or orchestration and artificial intelligence (AI).
Q: What are the five most important technologies needed for your career development/advancement over the next three to five years? [choose up to five in prioritised order]
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

11. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Tech pros’ primary source of IT skills training/career development
“Other” responses (N=5): no noteworthy mentions (ie CBT Nuggets/online learning platforms, personal web-based research (1, resp))
Public sector IT pros: industry events/trade shows and vendor training sessions above all other primary sources
By business size, small business and mid-size tech pros (respectively) turn to online communities/forums and industry events/trade shows above all other sources, while enterprise tech pros opt for vendor training sessions followed by industry events/trade shows and online communities/forums.
Slightly over one-fifth of tech pros surveyed indicate that industry events/trade shows and online communities/forums (such as Slack) (respectively) is their primary source of IT skills training/career development, followed closely by vendor training sessions (19%).
Q: When it comes to learning about emerging technologies, what is your primary source of IT skills training/career development? (choose only one)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

12. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Tech pros’ impression after participating in IT skills training/career development at primary source
“Other” responses (N=7): no noteworthy mentions (ie variable in depth and relevance (3), difficult to navigate (1))
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings other than slightly higher % engaging/interactive, slightly higher % assumed pre-existing knowledge/experience I did not have
After tech pros surveyed participated in IT skills training/career development from their primary source, over half of tech pros considered the training to be informative, one-third considered it engaging/interactive, and one-fourth considered it not long enough.
Q: Overall, how would you describe the IT skills training/career development you have participated in from the primary source you just mentioned? [choose all that apply]
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

13. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Tech pros’ impression by primary source (top four)
Online Communities/Forums (i.e., Slack)
Vendor Training Sessions
Industry Events/Trade Shows
Industry Publications
“Other” responses (N=7): no noteworthy mentions (ie variable in depth and relevance (3), difficult to navigate (1))
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings other than slightly higher % engaging/interactive, slightly higher % assumed pre-existing knowledge/experience I did not have
By primary source (qualitatively), those opting for training via online communities/forums find it more informative than those opting for training from other sources, while a higher percentage of those opting for training via industry events/trade shows find it more engaging/interactive when compared to those opting for training from other sources.
A lower percentage of mid-size tech pros considered the training to assume knowledge/experience that they did not have compared to small business and enterprise tech pros (respectively).
Q: Overall, how would you describe the IT skills training/career development you have participated in from the primary source you just mentioned? [choose all that apply]
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

14. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Frequency that tech pros’ day-to-day tasks extend into time earmarked for career development
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings
By business size, a higher percentage of mid-size IT pros indicate that their IT management tasks “always” extend into the time earmarked for career development when compared with small and enterprise tech pros (respectively).
One-third of tech pros surveyed indicate that day-to-day IT management tasks “always” extend into the time they set aside for pursuing their career development goals, while 45% of tech pros state that happens “sometimes.”
Q: How often do your day-to-day IT management tasks extend into the time you set aside for pursuing your career development goals? (choose only one)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

15. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Frequency that tech pros currently engage in IT skills training/career development programmes
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings except lower % annually
By business size, over one-third of small business tech pros engage a few times a year and 28% engage monthly while 36% of mid-size tech pros engage a few times a year, one-fifth engage annually and 17% engage monthly. Nearly three out of 10 enterprise tech pros currently engage in training and/or career development a few times a year while 23% engage monthly and one-fifth engage quarterly.
Nearly one-third of tech pros surveyed indicate that they currently engage in IT skills training and/or career development programmes a few times a year, while 23% of tech pros engage monthly and 13% (respectively) engage quarterly or annually.
Q: How often do you currently engage in IT skills training and/or career development programmes? (choose only one)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

16. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Frequency that tech pros would commit to IT skills training/career development programmes given no schedule/workload restrictions
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings
By business size, nearly two-fifths of small business tech pros would commit weekly and one-fourth would commit monthly while 31% of mid-size tech pros would commit weekly and one-fourth would commit monthly or quarterly (respectively). Nearly 40% of enterprise tech pros would commit to training and/or career development weekly, 27% would commit monthly, and nearly one-fifth would commit quarterly.
36% of tech pros surveyed indicate that given no schedule/workload restrictions, they would commit to IT skills training and/or career development programmes on a weekly basis, while one-fourth of tech pros would commit monthly and one-fifth would commit quarterly.
Q: If you could set your own schedule and workload with no restrictions, how often would you commit to IT skills training and/or career development programmes? (choose only one)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

17. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Tech pros’ biggest barrier to current ability to participate in IT skills training/career development
“Other” responses (N=0): no noteworthy mentions
Public sector IT pros: no sig diff from overall findings
Less than five percent of tech pros believe any other barrier is the biggest one to overcome. As business size increases, the percentage of tech pros citing time/availability as the biggest barrier increases while the percentage of tech pros citing cost as the biggest barrier decreases.
Over half of tech pros surveyed indicate that time/availability (for travel, training itself, etc.) is the biggest barrier to their current ability to participate in IT skills training and/or career development programmes, followed by cost (of training programme, travel to tradeshow, etc.) and energy (mental, emotional and/or physical) needed for “one more” activity (23% and 14%, respectively).
Q: What is the biggest barrier to your current ability to participate in IT skills training and/or career development programmes? (choose only one)
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

18. Technology Skills and Training Are Needed
Tech pros’ ideal delivery format for IT Skills training materials for IT Ops, SecOps, DevOps, and MSP/MSSPs (overall)
#3 by weighted rank
#1 by weighted rank
#4 by weighted rank
#2 by weighted rank
#5 by weighted rank
“Other” responses (N=51): no noteworthy mentions (ie books/written material (3))
By business size, the top three (by weighted rank) remain the same as overall for enterprise tech pros while small business tech pros rank number one and number two in reverse order, followed by the same as overall. Mid-size tech pros also have the same top three as overall in a differing order: webinar, self-guided online course, and full-day, in-person workshop/user conference.
#6 by weighted rank
Over two-fifths of tech pros surveyed indicate that full-day, in-person workshop/user conference is their ideal delivery format for IT skills training materials, followed by self-guided online courses and webinars (24% and 21%, respectively). By weighted rank, full-day, in-person workshop/user conference is also the ideal delivery format, followed by self-guided online courses and webinars.
Q: In order of preference, what is your ideal delivery format for IT skills training materials pertaining to IT Ops, SecOps, DevOps, and outsourcing/managed services? [choose 5 in prioritized order]
© 2019 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.