Comments on: So what are you actually doing about the skills shortage problem - Gen-i ? http://blog.projectxtech.com/2007/11/12/so-what-are-you-actually-doing-about-the-skills-shortage-problem-gen-i/ Start-ups, Maps and Local Search in New Zealand Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:31:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Rawiri Blundell http://blog.projectxtech.com/2007/11/12/so-what-are-you-actually-doing-about-the-skills-shortage-problem-gen-i/#comment-1006 Rawiri Blundell Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:56:22 +0000 http://blog.projectxtech.com/2007/11/12/so-what-are-you-actually-doing-about-the-skills-shortage-problem-gen-i/#comment-1006 I once worked for Gen-i and they only have themselves to blame. The Telecom Group fired, I mean sacked, no.. what was the bullsh*t bingo word they used? Ah... 'disestablished' 700 positions, and then scratched their heads when the rest of their workforce - who were already under pressure - began to buckle. Unfortunately, Gen-i has gone the way of EDS: becoming a low-balling non-deliverer. They (Gen-i management) won't be doing anything about the skills shortages, they'll be too busy patting themselves on the back while talking about abstract nonsense like "metrics" and "going forward." And it's very sad, because Gen-i is littered with very capable people who are following a layer of management so dumb it makes Dilbert look pedestrian. Any smart company will be engaging with tertiary institutes to foster a sort of work experience program like you get with high-schoolers and the traditional trades. As IT is a very broad industry, first and second year tertiary IT students can gain from working hands-on in real-world IT to see which areas of IT truely interests them. The NZQA should be considering taking that into account in their credits system as an incentive, I don't expect any such companies to pay the students much, if at all, for their time - as the companies are investing in them, though that's something else to think about altogether. After that settles in, push such a work experience program back to high school and you may find that wee issue of women in IT begins to cancel out too - but as you say, that's thinking long term, which is a little too logical and rational for fools like those at the helm of a few of NZ's larger IT providers. I once worked for Gen-i and they only have themselves to blame. The Telecom Group fired, I mean sacked, no.. what was the bullsh*t bingo word they used? Ah… ‘disestablished’ 700 positions, and then scratched their heads when the rest of their workforce - who were already under pressure - began to buckle. Unfortunately, Gen-i has gone the way of EDS: becoming a low-balling non-deliverer. They (Gen-i management) won’t be doing anything about the skills shortages, they’ll be too busy patting themselves on the back while talking about abstract nonsense like “metrics” and “going forward.” And it’s very sad, because Gen-i is littered with very capable people who are following a layer of management so dumb it makes Dilbert look pedestrian.

Any smart company will be engaging with tertiary institutes to foster a sort of work experience program like you get with high-schoolers and the traditional trades. As IT is a very broad industry, first and second year tertiary IT students can gain from working hands-on in real-world IT to see which areas of IT truely interests them. The NZQA should be considering taking that into account in their credits system as an incentive, I don’t expect any such companies to pay the students much, if at all, for their time - as the companies are investing in them, though that’s something else to think about altogether. After that settles in, push such a work experience program back to high school and you may find that wee issue of women in IT begins to cancel out too - but as you say, that’s thinking long term, which is a little too logical and rational for fools like those at the helm of a few of NZ’s larger IT providers.

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