Navigating the future
Sigma Labs: solutions for a
changing skills landscape
Sigma Labs is a mission-driven education business dedicated to helping clients plug the digital skills gap by recruiting and training high-quality junior talent. Its consultants specialise in key areas, including software, data and cloud, and platforms such as Salesforce and ServiceNow.
In this rapidly evolving technological landscape, with ever-shifting talent demands and an increasing focus on doing more with less, Sigma Labs champions the hire-train-deploy (HTD) business model, offering unparalleled advantages for both employers and aspiring professionals.
Clearly, we’re observing a period of rapid tech evolution with new languages, frameworks and tools emerging. To address this challenge, we empower companies to hire individuals with strong foundational skills and provide intensive training to bridge the gap between their existing expertise and the current market needs through our HTD model.
Based on substantial research into education, individual excellence and professional success, we have developed a T-shaped approach to skills training – with an emphasis on both technical and professional high-performance thinking and behaviours (Conscientiousness, Coachability, and Proactivity). We believe this ability to think more broadly, above and beyond the direct technical challenges, will become increasingly important for teams and businesses looking to stay ahead in 2024.
As the pace of change increases and innovative technologies such as LLMs and quantum computing begin to materialise in businesses’ and consumers’ hands, Sigma Labs believes that continuous learning is not just an asset but a necessity. We have always promoted a culture of ongoing development by integrating training into our recruitment processes and selecting for attributes over years of tenure.
In 2023, Sigma Labs acknowledged the increasing demand for specialists in niche domains, and we expect this to continue next year. Our HTD model allows companies to source raw talent and mould them into specialists through targeted training programmes, ensuring our workforce is not only adaptable but also trained in high-in-demand emerging tech skills. For example, in the data engineering world, we’ve seen demand for Snowflake skills increase fourfold between January and September. We see this as a key growth area for many clients in 2024.
Within Sigma Labs’ vision for growth, data (including analysis, engineering, and visualisation) stands out as a pivotal market. Recognising the demand for junior data engineers, our HTD model offers a streamlined path for companies to identify and train these professionals, ensuring they are not only equipped to meet current demands but are also well-positioned to evolve alongside the rapidly advancing field.
In a year where online vacancies for technology jobs have decreased by half (Source: Adzuna/ONS May 2022-July 2023), we have seen a shortfall in data engineering skills prevail. There are just over two data engineer candidates per job listing, compared to almost 11 candidates per web developer job listing (LinkedIn). We do not expect this trend to ease up in 2024.
Sigma Labs’ founding principle is that outcomes should be driven by ability, potential and effort, not socioeconomic background. As such, a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion and recognising the importance of varied perspectives and experiences in the tech industry is core to how we operate.
Our model aligns seamlessly with this trend, offering opportunities to a diverse pool of candidates through inclusive recruitment practices and tailored training programmes that foster innovation through diverse thought processes. Whilst we’re encouraged by the progress in recent years, there are concerns that as tougher economic times close in, this focus will slip (as per a recent HBR study, based on Gallup research, where only 31% of employees said their organisation is committed to improving equality in their workplace).
Graduate opportunities are dropping, with the number of positions available about 40% below 2018 levels. What’s more, among business leaders, “there is a general sentiment that new entrants to the jobs market don’t have the same levels of work experience or social interactions in a workplace.” (Source: Bloomberg, Kate Shoesmith, CEO, REC). For graduate students embarking on their tech careers, Sigma Labs provides a unique pathway.
It serves as a bridge between academia and industry, offering structured on-the-job training, mentorship and skill development. Graduates benefit from accelerated career entry, continuous learning opportunities and networking experiences that set them on a trajectory for success in the tech industry. Therefore, in order to support companies in accessing pre-trained graduate talent and the innovative thinking this brings, we expect the HTD market to continue to expand next year and beyond.
“Trainees from Sigma Labs are proven to be top performers in some of the world's largest and most recognised organisations. This partnership reaffirms our commitment to unlock the power of people and partner with our clients to help them solve their talent challenges, and we are excited to support Sigma Labs candidates with the best training and job opportunities.”
Through our focus on a continuous learning culture and professional high-performance training, we hope to address the immediate needs of employers and anticipate and adapt to the ongoing shifts in the industry, ensuring that our workforce is ready for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
