AI-driven automation holds the key to unlocking the Government’s IT skills shortage

The UK has fewer than half the digital, data and technology professionals it needs to carry out government-related IT work.

That’s according to the Eighth Annual Report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which scrutinises how taxpayers’ money is spent.

The report – published in March 2024 and which tackles all areas of government spending, including key areas such as health, defence and education – cites the findings of an earlier PAC report looking specifically into digital transformation in government and how best to address the barriers to efficiency.

This report pulled no punches, warning how digital skills shortages, including those ‘self-inflicted through headcount cuts, risk costing the Government much more in the long run because opportunities to transform are foregone, and delays increase the risks of prolonging legacy systems.’

It warned how the skills shortage is particularly acute in roles such as data architects and cyber security experts, which it noted are ‘difficult to recruit and where the skills command a premium in the market.’

Addressing the IT skills shortage

Of course, none of this is new. The skills shortage, or ‘workforce resilience’, as it’s sometimes known, is a problem impacting the whole IT sector. However, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) already show AI’s potential to alleviate some of the problems – but only if deployed correctly.

AIOps, for example, allows IT teams to automate many of the time-consuming tasks that ensure websites, applications, databases and infrastructure function better. It applies machine learning (ML) and data analytics to enhance the monitoring of IT systems, freeing up time for hard-pressed IT teams.

In other words, AIOps does the mundane – but essential – tasks, enabling IT teams to step in when necessary. As such, it makes better use of human IT resources at a time when skills are in short supply.

It’s estimated IT and cloud teams spend around 44% of their time on routine work to ensure everything runs properly. Even if a part of this work could be automated, there’s little doubt of the impact it would make in increasing the efficiency and productivity of IT teams.

But what if it was possible to automate almost all of these backend systems so they would, in effect, take care of themselves?

AI is fuelling AIOps and self-driving ops

It might sound far-fetched, but it’s a technology currently taking shape and could have a dramatic impact on the demand for skills. Called self-driving operations, these fully autonomous IT systems are capable of monitoring, managing and optimising themselves in real time without human intervention.

Developed using AI and ML, self-driving ops continuously adapt to changing conditions, automatically resolving issues and optimising performance to help ensure seamless operation across complex IT environments.

For those responsible for addressing the skills shortage, both approaches reduce the need for skilled IT personnel. But it’s the difference between AIOps and self-driving ops that holds real promise.

AIOps is certainly a step in the right direction as it automates many tasks, but humans still play a significant role in oversight, decision-making and handling complex or unpredictable situations. Self-driving operations, on the other hand, takes IT automation to the next level by making real-time decisions and executing them without human intervention.

The future of IT management is autonomous

Without a doubt, this is the paradigm shift the industry has been waiting for. Why? Because self-driving ops could relieve human IT teams from the increasing burden of IT management and administration.

Of course, there are some who might – despite the skills shortage – be concerned it could threaten job security in the future. And while this is an entirely understandable reaction, it’s also misplaced – for two reasons.

First, organisations in both the public and private sectors are already struggling to hire enough people to manage increasingly complex IT environments. According to the Government’s own figures, it estimates the number of digital, data, and technology professionals in the civil service is around 4.5%, less than half the number it needs when compared to an equivalent industry average of between 8% and 12%. So there’s little chance of turning a skills deficit into a surplus.

Second, for hard-pressed IT teams, self-driving ops is only really designed to replace mundane, repetitive tasks. At a time when demand for skilled IT professionals continues to outpace supply, the adoption of self-driving operations is not only a strategic advantage but an imperative. By embracing this technology, the public sector has an opportunity to address one of the major issues regarding the management of increasingly complex IT environments.

If implemented correctly, it could also free up IT teams to focus on what truly matters – driving progress, enhancing service delivery and future-proofing infrastructure –while leaving the repetitive, mundane tasks to the machines.


About the Author

Krishna Sai is Senior VP, Technology and Engineering at SolarWinds. At SolarWinds, Inclusion and Belonging is core to our company’s Purpose of enriching the lives of the people we serve – our employees, customers, stakeholders, partners, and communities. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Readiness, and Empathy guide our everyday work ethics and create an inclusive and diverse workplace where individuals are empowered to thrive, reach their full potential, and feel a sense of belonging. We prioritize Inclusion and Belonging to strengthen inclusion, improve representation, and foster a sense of belonging for our diverse Solarians. It is not only a business imperative to drive innovation and profitability but also enables us to build trust and create value for our diverse talent and stakeholders.

Featured image: Adobe Stock

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