Media Release

 

IFIP IP3 Global Industry Council Releases
GIC 2020 Skills Assessment Report

 

New Report Spells Out Skills and Knowledge Needed by ICT Professionals in 2020

 

Wednesday 30 September 2015 – A new report detailing the knowledge, skills and competencies that ICT professionals will need over the next five years has been released today. Developed to inform ICT professionals who want to remain relevant as well as the companies that employ them, the GIC 2020 Skills Assessment Report seeks to ensure that businesses continue to have access to high quality skills to design and implement their ICT systems.

 

The GIC 2020 Skills Assessment Report was developed by the Global Industry Council (GIC) within the International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3), part of the global ICT professionalism body, IFIP. It was compiled by GIC Director and Vice-Chair, John Morton, with input from all GIC Directors.

IP3 President, Brenda Aynsley said the report was developed to provide guidance for ICT professionals and their employers in a time of unprecedented change. “More than any other industry, ICT faces dynamic growth and disruption,” she said. “Companies in all sectors are struggling with ferocious competition to hold and win customers and remain competitive. Business must ask, “How will technology enable us to hold our market position and gain competitive advantage?”

Ms Aynsley said it is no longer sufficient to just use technology – the challenge is to use technology for innovation while managing any risks that might result in that process.

“The role and purpose of professionalism within ICT is clear and will not significantly change. However, the knowledge, skills and abilities ICT professionals need are constantly changing,” she said. “This change will continue and accelerate in the years ahead. When you add to this the global ICT skills shortage and the resulting war for talent, CIOs and other business leaders have to focus on acquiring and developing the skills that are required today and into the future. At the same time, educators and other learning and development professionals must meet the challenge of providing ICT professionals with appropriate skills and competencies.”

IFIP President, Leon Strous, welcomed the report as a significant deliverable for the ICT industry and profession.

“At a time when the need for ICT professionals is still increasing at a pace where supply cannot keep up with demand, it is extremely important that no concessions are made as far as the quality of information systems is concerned. We have become too dependent on ICT to be able to afford bad systems. The risks of losing substantial amounts of money, or worse, the loss of life, are simply too high. As ICT professionals, we have a duty to safeguard the quality of what we do. This report is a landmark for further work in this respect,” he said.

Frits Bussemaker, Secretary General International Relations CIONET International & Partner CIONET Netherlands, confirmed the report’s importance for businesses and governments alike.

“We are witnessing a global transition to a digital society. This change is accelerating and therefore both public and private organizations need to understand today what digital skills they need to possess. The IFIP IP3 GIC 2020 Skills Assessment Report was produced by seasoned ICT executives who work at the coalface of ICT and provides excellent guidance to help any organization seeking or providing digital skills with acquiring the right skills.”

John Morton, CEO of CPM and a founder of three technology start-ups, was principal author of the report. He will deliver a Keynote Speech at next week’s IFIP World Computer Congress (WCC) IT Job Forum, with the title, “No battle was ever won according to plan, but no battle was ever won without one.” (Title borrowed from a quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower).  This presentation looks at one important aspect of the report, Big Data Analytics, and the need for different thinking to drive the next wave of the ICT Industry.  At the event, IFIP IP3 is running a session on The Development of the Global ICT Profession, which will include case studies from various national societies.

The GIC 2020 Skills Assessment report can be downloaded here.

About IP3
The International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3), a project of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and is leading the development of the global IT profession by providing a platform that will help shape and implement relevant policies to foster professionalism in IT worldwide. Our mission is to establish a global partnership that will strengthen the IT profession and contribute to the development of strong international economies by: defining international standards of professionalism in IT; creating an infrastructure that will encourage and support the development of both IT practitioners and employer organizations, and give recognition to those who meet and maintain the required standards for knowledge, experience, competence and integrity. To carry out this mission, IP3 works closely with member bodies and partners who share our commitment to creating a sound global IT profession. www.ipthree.org

 

About IFIP

IFIP, the International Federation for Information Processing, is the global professional federation of societies and associations for people working in Information and Communications Technologies and Sciences. Established under the auspices of UNESCO in 1960 and recognised by the United Nations, IFIP represents ICT professional associations from more than 50 countries and regions with a total membership of over half a million. It also brings together more than 3,500 scientists from industry and academia, organising them into over 100 Working Groups and 13 Technical Committees to conduct research, develop standards and promote information sharing. Based in Austria, IFIP organises and supports over 100 conferences each year, fostering the distribution of research and knowledge to academics and industry practitioners alike.

Website: http://ifip.org

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ifipnews

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/ifip–international-federation-for-information-processing
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