63% Of Data Scientists Say The Profession Will Be Undermanned In The Foreseeable Future

Sites include emc.com . Published on January 27th, 2012. Written by Anthony West.

The growth of the internet and IT on the whole has killed off literally a few professions. But at the same time it has opened new vistas and new opportunities for employment. And while capitalizing on these opportunities take a certain ‘connection’ to all things tech, the future couldn’t be brighter.

Take the profession of the Data Scientist for example, in recent years this profession has risen to become one of the most sought after positions in the tech sector, and industry professionals are predicting that there will be a 63% shortfall in actual scientists in the very near future. But we aren’t just talking here about the profession being undermanned; half of the industry experts who predict the 63% shortfall anticipate that this shortage will be severe. In other words, not having enough data scientists will affect the run of business.

The study which looked at the eventual demand for these scientists and conducted by EMC², also identified the potential source for filling the gaps. Unsurprisingly, students studying computer science were seen as the best option for producing the sort of talent needed to fill this important role. In terms of overall contribution students are expected to make up 34% of new data scientists. 27% of working professionals in other fields (IT related of course) are expected to contribute to the pack, while 24% of students studying non-computer related disciplines are expected to help grow the numbers.

The prediction may be gloomy, but for anyone thinking about a job for the future, the prediction is ‘sweet news’.