How startups are closing the high-tech skills gap

How startups are closing the high-tech skills gap

East London's tech startups are on a roll. There is a steady stream of new companies being created, the existing startups are growing and established tech companies are moving into the Silicon Roundabout area. All of this is making it increasingly hard to recruit great software developers, and developers are the lifeblood of every technology startup.

Startups are picky when it comes to hiring. In a team of five or ten, one bad hire can have dire effects. It's not just that a significant percentage of your team isn't productive, but one person who isn't pulling their weight can badly damage the morale of the rest of the team. Tech startups are fast moving environments that require a high degree of technical skill and a real commitment to success.

If Britain is to grow its entrepreneurial base – and we need it to – then we must significantly change how computer science is taught at schools and universities. This is not an easy fix. It takes several years for a change to the education system to be developed and for students to make their way through the improved system. So changes are not going to fix the immediate hiring situation. If the education system is not the short-term answer, then surely startups can do something about it and train their own staff, instead of expecting the rest of the world to solve their problems for them?

Many startups believe they don't have the time to help their employees improve; you always feel that if you don't ship this feature right now, you will fail. But startups are about building great companies for the long term, as well as great products for now. Great companies are built on their teams and culture – so startups have to think about how they build for the long term.