Contract workers in tech roles in non-tech sector will reach 26% in 5 years

Tech talent in the non-tech sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.53 per cent, increasing from 7.65 lakhs in financial year 2022 to about 11.15 lakhs in five years’ time. It is anticipated that the proportion of contract workers in tech roles within the non-tech sector will go up from the present 20 per cent to about 26 per cent by the end of FY 2027.

That means, there is expected to be more dependency on temporary or contract techies.

Growth will be fastest in the consulting and BFSI space by 2027, followed by the energy and resources space.

In-demand skills

Talent in the areas of cloud-based services, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will be most sought after.

Organisations in the non-tech sector are seeking automation specialists who possess knowledge of 5G networks. They are also looking for talent with engineering and semiconductor backgrounds to support the growth of the telecommunications and consumer electronics businesses.

The manufacturing, electric vehicle and research and development sectors are also looking for expertise in these areas. Therefore, many non-technical service providers are now looking at ways to use corporate cloud networks and software as a

service (SaaS) to diversify their offerings and go beyond the traditional IT and business process outsourcing.

As a result, the need for IT specialists possessing knowledge and expertise in these technologies has surged. These specialists are required to help implement cloud networks and SAS in various industrial applications. The demand for

data analysts and cyber security specialists is also on the rise beyond the technology industry. This is because businesses wish to enhance their online operations and protect sensitive customer data, reveals the ‘Digital People Supply Chain Report’.

Experience expected

At the entry level:  In the non-tech sectors, tech talent at the entry level are expected to know the basic technical skills, including proficiency in MS Office Suite, as well as the basics of HTML and CSS and experience using content- management systems.

There is no dearth of talent with these skills presently. In the future, the demand growth for these skill sets will remain moderate because businesses will continue to focus on investing in technology and digital platforms.

At the middle level: In terms of intermediate experience levels, the skills in demand are knowledge of more advanced programming languages such as Python or Java, proficiency in data analysis and visualisation tools, and experience with cloud-computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure. These are less common skills in the talent pool compared to entry-level talent. The demand for these skills will grow in the future, as companies will continue to invest in data analytics and automation.

At the senior level: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), blockchain technology and cybersecurity are the sought-after skill areas at the senior level. Presently, there is limited supply of this level of talent and the demand-supply dynamics is expected to be askew for the same in the future.