Contributed Article
By Andrew Muir, CEO at FarrPoint
For a few years now, there’s been discuss easy methods to encourage extra younger individuals into careers in STEM, as varied industries strive desperately to draw extra expertise amid ongoing abilities shortages.
You could not hear a lot a few profession in telecoms, and it won’t be the primary alternative that involves a teenager’s thoughts (though, after I inform those that it’s one of many highest paying sectors within the UK, I are likely to see a couple of ears shortly pricking up).
Attracting recent expertise into the sector is badly wanted, in accordance with current analysis which suggests greater than 60% of telecoms engineers are over 50.
That statistic is especially irritating given most younger individuals can’t think about their lives with out the Web and fixed connectivity. Even their dad and mom, who’re sufficiently old to recollect a time earlier than smartphones, tablets and laptops, can be misplaced with out it. Whether or not it’s connecting to observe your favorite present on Netflix, calling your loved ones on Facetime or purchasing on-line, we depend on individuals working in telecoms to make all of it occur easily.
Telecoms continues to be a quick paced, thrilling world trade that grows and adapts at a formidable charge. Right here within the UK, advances in mounted and cellular connectivity proceed apace and new functions which benefit from this quick, responsive infrastructure are in all places, throughout dwelling, work and play.
But, a current report by Manpower discovered that 42% of telecoms companies have been reporting a specialist digital or IT abilities hole within the exterior labour market. Put merely, we want extra expertise, and we want it quick.
It’s not essential to be a tech whizz to construct a profession in telecoms; there are an enormous number of potential roles, each office-based and out within the discipline. You would be something from a design engineer operating the tv and web protection for main sporting occasions, or a telecom chief within the well being sector the place connectivity is massively vital to bettering care, or a satellite tv for pc engineer who plans and design telecoms infrastructure in house. There are additionally many supporting roles within the likes of product growth, gross sales, advertising and marketing, HR and finance.
Once I speak to my colleagues, I hear many tales about unconventional journeys into the trade. Emma Philpott, our head of cellular, didn’t plan a profession in telecoms or digital connectivity. She studied oceanography and chemistry at college earlier than making use of for a graduate job with a world engineering consultancy after which in some way ending up on their digital communications staff. The tasks Emma has been concerned with through the years have taken her everywhere in the world, from Abu Dhabi to Antarctica. And he or she’d be the primary to inform you she continues to be taught and uncover on this fascinating sector.
Personally, I didn’t know what I needed to do after I left faculty, and simply ended up learning digital engineering. I shortly caught the bug and moved from analysis into lecturing and instructing, then designing networks earlier than going into consultancy and organising my very own firm, which has been extraordinarily rewarding.
A staff from that firm, FarrPoint, travelled to Orkney this yr with a mission to encourage extra children right into a profession in telecoms. As a part of the Orkney Worldwide Science Pageant, they visited Kirkwall Grammar College to ship two ‘Connectivity and the Web of Issues’ workshops for younger individuals. In rural and island areas, discovering staff with telecoms abilities can after all be a fair larger problem.
The children who got here alongside acquired the possibility to discover the world of connectivity, verify their cellular sign strengths, take a look at some good IoT options, and be taught to map 4G sign utilizing FarrPoint’s cellular mapping software.
We designed these workshops particularly to exhibit how enjoyable and interesting telecoms may be. On the occasions, the staff might clearly see that many younger individuals are keen on expertise and the way issues work. It’s now as much as our sector to nurture that curiosity and talk with our subsequent era of expertise in regards to the diversified careers that exist in our thrilling trade.
Bemoaning the broadening abilities hole isn’t sufficient. Firms ought to get on the market, speak to younger individuals and inform all of them the nice issues telecoms has to supply.
Organisations who’re struggling to recruit ought to ask themselves if they’re doing sufficient to boost consciousness of their want for brand new expertise, and whether or not they might be doing extra to emphasize the appreciable advantages our sector presents to younger individuals.
Wholesome job prospects, an incredible wage, a stimulating profession, and the chance to know they’re making an actual distinction to individuals’s lives – it’s a lovely message, so let’s get it on the market.
To search out out extra about careers in telecoms, go to https://www.farrpoint.com/careers-in-telecoms
About FarrPoint
FarrPoint is an unbiased connectivity and good expertise consultancy. It gives unbiased recommendation on the business and technical concerns of the design of nationwide and regional connectivity methods, technical planning and modelling, procurement assist and implementation assurance.
The staff comprise a mixture of consulting technologists, economists and information analysts who work collectively to supply expertise, experience and complementary useful resource to shoppers in the private and non-private sectors.
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