I do not accept the argument from enterprise IT orgs that a skill gap is keeping them from adopting cloud or platforms. Existing teams can develop the necessary skills faster than the organization can move to adopt new tech. There is no skill gap.

— Mark Imbriaco (@markimbriaco) April 13, 2018

I’ve worked in many IT departments and IT companies, and nearly always when this talk of a “skill gap” happens it is a management ploy to outsource or cut costs in some other way.

There has been more than one place I’ve worked where management claims that there is a “skill gap” and I say, “I know how to do all of that. I can do it right now. It’s not that hard.” A few times I’ve been certified (with industry-standard certs) in that very skill. And that is ignored, a “skill gap” is identified and outsourcing occurs.

It’s never successful, but it looks really good on paper at first. The spreadsheet jockeys love it, the execs get their “savings” and thus their bonuses, while remaining IT is scrambling to fix all the issues and problems that the outsourcing inevitably creates. It means double work. The outsourced company does it poorly, and then the skeleton crew of the remaining IT staff re-do it again correctly, while the outsourced company receives all the credit. Meanwhile, because IT has no time free any longer, product development essentially dies, R&D, maintenance and training is curtailed by the necessity of putting out fires, and in a few years the infrastructure becomes unsustainable.

I’ve seen this play out a half-dozen times and it always goes the same way.

When you hear “skill gap,” know that your job or your teammates’ jobs are about to be outsourced or offshored.