Analyst predictions for the continued growth of
offshoring suggest that hundreds of jobs that might at one time
have been based in the UK will in future be found overseas in
lower-wage economies.
We need to think about how the UK’s IT profession can best meet
this challenge.
A BCS working party was established in 2004 to review the
offshoring trend. The group analysed the profession’s competitive
strengths; examined the competencies that would be required in the
era of global sourcing; looked at ways of helping IT professionals
displaced by offshoring; and considered how UK companies might
benefit from offshoring. Six conclusions emerged:
- Offshoring is a reality of business and it will have a
significant but not overwhelming impact on the IT profession
- Free trade benefits the UK economy overall, but it can
disadvantage individuals, who may need support
- UK IT professionals can offer added value to businesses
- We need a new career model that combines technical savvy with
interpersonal and business skills
- For companies, global sourcing will become a competitive
differentiator
- Professionalism will be even more important in the
future.
The working party’s report, published this month, focuses on the
BCS activities that will help the UK IT profession meet the
challenges of offshoring. It includes contributions from
individuals who are carving out careers in a world of global
sourcing, looks at how organisations are responding to
globalisation, and sets out a seven-point action plan for the
BCS:
- Promote professional standards
- Help employees develop successful careers
- Recruit and educate future generations of IT practitioners
- Influence and advise the government about IT issues
- Work with employers to help them make the most of IT staff
- Support innovation and celebrate excellence in IT
- Develop the BCS’ thought leadership role.
We live in an era of global sourcing. There is no going back –
IT services have become a global industry. But the UK’s IT
profession can offer value-added skills and has the potential to
embrace the challenges of globalisation and exploit the
opportunities that are created.
Elizabeth Sparrow is chair of the BCS working party on
offshoring