Demand for IT graduates up as employers seek local talent

Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i at a past function [Photo: Courtesy]

By  Frankline Sunday

Kenya: Kenya’s IT graduates are gaining ground in the competition for plum employment positions in the corporate scene signifying a shift that favours local talent over expatriates.

Data from a recent study from consulting firm EY states that Kenyan industries are cutting their reliance on expatriate talent making slow but steady steps towards developing local specialised talent.

The ‘EY 2013/14 sub-Saharan Africa Talent Trends and Practices’ Survey indicates that more human resource departments are anticipating a lower demand for expatriate talent in the next 12 months compared to a higher demand for local talent over the same period.

According to the survey released last week, expatriates occupy a critical part of the human resource landscape and are typically used to plug strategic skills gap in labour markets, start up new businesses in green field sites and lead organisations.

In the IT industry, expatriates form a bulk of employees since most of the prominent companies in the sector are either new or multinationals in their first phase of presence in Kenya. Data from a study commissioned by the ICT authority in 2011 indicated that up to 33 per cent of companies in the country opt to employ foreign nationals to fill in vacancies in their IT departments owing to lack of requisite skills.

Work permits

Last month, Information, Communication, and Technology Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i stated the Government would assist multinational firms get work permits for their workers in the country.

“Several multinational companies operating in Kenya have approached us stating that they have personnel from overseas who they need to provide support in Kenya but they find challenges in going through the immigration system,” he said.

“The government through this ministry will be working with these companies to explain to them what they need to have and the processes involved in obtaining work permits and in that way make the process easier for them.”

However, the new EY survey says there is a higher anticipated demand for local staff to occupy management, technical and professional skills coupled with a much lower demand for expatriates.

Victor Kyalo, Chief Executive of Kenya ICT Authority, says the Government has been working with the private sector and the universities to increase the share of local talent in  the ICT industry.

“We are working with universities to help them develop a curriculum relevant to the current needs and trends in the industry but one cannot rule out the participation of expatriates all together because even Silicon Valley has a large participation from expatriates,” he said.

According to the survey 53 per cent of organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa anticipate hiring fewer expatriates and only 16 per cent anticipate hiring more.

This trend, it adds, is particularly clear in the professional and technical/operational staffing categories — the skills most in demand.