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There's a shortage of java in the Tampa area, and according to several executives, it's about to hit crisis levels.
The java in this case — a relief to caffeine addicts — is the one that's behind the popular software program, not Indonesian coffee beans. Executives, in the Tampa Bay IT Workforce Analysis Survey released last month, say the java developer position is the top in-demand skill, but the most challenging job to fill.
The survey, spearheaded by CareerSource Tampa Bay, also essentially confirms a reality that many human resource executives have grappled with for months, that IT unemployment in the region is basically zero. The unemployment rate for all IT jobs in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater region in August last year, for example, was estimated at less than 1%, the report states.
The survey was distributed to more than 300 IT hiring officials and executives in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The survey was a three-year follow up to an initial 2012 IT workforce analysis report, according to a statement.
A large majority of survey respondents, 81%, anticipate they will need to fill IT positions in the next two to three years. A majority of respondents also say they prefer IT job candidates to have at least a bachelor's degree and three to five years experience.
Rick Homans, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, an economic development organization, takes the optimist's view on the situation. “The Tampa Bay region is experiencing incredible growth in the information technology field, and that presents us with an exciting opportunity to create a world-class workforce to meet those needs,” Homans says in the release. “Fortunately, we have exceptional educational institutions to fill our pipeline with talented employees, and an engaged business community to ensure our students are trained in the most relevant, high-demand skills.”
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