UK suffers from Big Data specialist shortage

It has been predicted that Big Data will create millions of new jobs and lead to greater project demand within the IT sector, but this does not answer the question about the supply of skilled workers.

According to a survey of 131 members of the "Big Data London" group by real time analytics company Acunu, there is a knowledge gap between Big Data workers and the decision makers commissioning Big Data projects.

Over a quarter of respondents said they do not believe business decision makers are currently exploiting Big Data within their organisation, with "underutilisation of Big Data" (66 percent) and "having unrealistic expectations for Big Data" (66 percent) being highlighted as key concerns.

If this problem persists, the UK may not be ready to seize the Big Data business opportunities in 2013, according to Acunu.

"It's easy to look at a skills shortage and blame a lack of training on traditional educational routes, but when you're on the cutting edge of technology, you have to be teaching yourself most of the time," said Manu Marchal, Acunu director and Big Data London organiser.