Is IT a core skill?

The Leitch report has been out for a year - happy anniversary!  Has much changed?  Possibly, but it is too early to tell from the evidence base and I prefer not to rely on press releases about nice things happening.  That is perhaps a bit unfair on the 22 colleges and providers who have just received a standard for excellence in their work with employers from the LSC, but I like to know about results!

Microsoft have done a survey looking at business skills as part of the anniversary event.  From evidence from 500 respondents - UK business leaders - they found that IT skills came 7th in a list of top business skills.  The things our giants of business and industry are looking for are team working and interpersonal skills, initiative and problem solving skills.  Microsoft feels that IT skills are undervalued.

Ho hum - where do I start with pulling this one apart?  Sometimes people make it just too easy after all!

To be of use to business leaders, there are certain automatic skills that people are assumed to have - literacy and numeracy were not on the list, in my view as they were considered to be a basic prerequisite of being employed.  Similarly the ability to speak the language of the employing business was not specifically included although could be understood as part of verbal communication (but what about understanding what you hear?), but I am pretty sure that this is also seen as necessary. 

I am pretty convinced that basic IT ability is also in there with other core skills required to function in the work place, and IT skills only really gain attention when it is something specific - web design, programming ability, the knowledge to prevent a company's systems from being attacked by viruses or spy-ware, ability to manipulate Facebook to the needs of the company.  I think that where IT skills do themselves no favours is that business leaders will see what their children do with computers - school course work and play games - rather less impressive for running a business, unless you sell gaming software.

The top 6 business skills listed are all non-measurable skills, more to do with individual motivation than anything else.  Indeed, looking at the top 6 skills shown below, I believe that they are brilliantly demonstrated by teams in Ocean's 11, the Lady-killers, The Lavender Hill Mob, Wanted and the Italian Job, not to mention The Usual Suspects.  In most of these cases, the ability to use a gun was the seventh skill required, but in some, IT skills were also required.  Perhaps putting the above listed films on Business Studies courses would be more use than studying law, accountancy or psychology?

I think that comment proves that it is too close to Christmas to write more!

Those top 6 business skills in full: 1) Team working and interpersonal skills, 2) Initiative, 3) Analysing and problem solving, 4) Verbal communication, 5) Personal planning and organising, 6) Flexibility.

Comments

[frank lee]

There is of course another, perhaps lesser known film that should also be required viewing for potential leaders of commerce and industry.
Bearing in mind scandals like Enron, amongst others, The Million Pound Note should be viewed by everyone.
An impoverished American sailor is fortunate enough to be passing the house of two rich gentlemen who have conceived the crazy idea of distributing a note worth one million pounds. The sailor finds that whenever he tries to use the note to buy something, people treat him as if he is a King and let him have whatever he likes for free. The note never gets broken and the sailor acquires all he wants without spending anything. Without going into details, it all ends rather badly.

Pretty relevant even today, with all these houses of cards that are worth fortunes but built on nothing except hot air and promises that are ultimately worthless.
Merry christmas Jane!