Poorly conceived IT comedy provokes industry backlash

Tech workers look to boost management skills following ëIT Crowdísí stereotypical view of the industry, according to Thomson NETg

IT workers are just as keen on having strong interpersonal skills as they are on deep-seated technology expertise, according to research from learning solutions provider Thomson NETg. The news comes in the wake of the Channel 4 comedy entitled ëThe IT Crowdí, which portrays IT workers as social outcasts.

While 36 per cent said that IT skills certification was highest on their list of priorities to further and improve their career over the coming year, 33 percent wanted to focus on their managerial aptitude, according to the poll of 80 technology workers.

In another rebuttal of the Channel 4 comic portrayal of IT workers, 14 percent wanted to learn another language to increase their skills set and give themselves a more rounded personality.

ìIt is quite clear that modern IT workers bear little resemblance to the stereotypical view of the IT Crowd,î said Mike Summers, director at Thomson NETg. ìNow that IT has become such an integral part of the business, the very idea that IT workers are stuffed in a basement away from the cut and thrust is an entirely outdated concept.î

Summers said that modern IT directors regularly sit on the board and are obliged to ensure that their business and interpersonal skills will enable them to cope with the highly strategic nature of corporate life.

ìWeíve seen this leap of interest in business skills as the next generation of IT workers become acutely aware that in addition to their core IT expertise, they also need a wider skills set such as customer service and project management to help align what they do to the needs of the business,í he added.