An Upskill Battle

The skills gap has hit the technology industry hard, affecting more than three-quarters of companies, according to Revature's 2025 State of IT Skills Survey Report. Businesses posted more than 430,000 active technology roles in December, states IT trade group CompTIA, including more than 165,000 new roles. But, per Revature, most decision makers are concerned about finding IT talent in 2025.

The most prevalent challenges, the report notes, are finding qualified talent with the necessary skills; staffing companies being unable to quickly deliver talent; and neglecting to upskill and reskill in-house talent. The top four obstacles employers encounter regarding upskilling are building or securing relevant content for training programs; ensuring upskilling achievements align with business objectives; creating a continuous learning environment; and having limited time and resources for training. According to the Revature survey's 230 IT and HR decision-maker respondents, the roles most difficult to fill are those in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and generative AI.

"While the majority of companies have been affected by the IT skills gap, it's clear that IT and HR respondents have clear goals and priorities as we head into 2025 but may not have the tools or the knowledge to execute them effectively," says Tan Moorthy, Revature's chief operating officer, in a press release. "Organizations need to develop a comprehensive talent strategy that focuses on sourcing qualified talent, implementing robust training and development programs, and giving employees clear progression paths."

Despite the difficulties, Moorthy states businesses investing in a talent strategy can put themselves ahead of the curve. Sixty-three percent of respondents expect to increase upskilling and reskilling programs in their organizations, and 60 percent plan to hire more employees this year.

"With this calculated approach, companies can better accelerate their technology workforce transformation and enhance their talent recruitment and retention—all to close the skills gap while remaining competitive in their respective markets," he explains.