Las companies that need to incorporate technological profiles their squads have had practically the same problems this 2025 as in previous years: They need experts in AI, data and cybersecuritybut there are not enough professionals sufficiently prepared to meet the demand. It is a talent and IT skills gap that threatens to delay, and even block, strategic digital transformation projects. Especially in sectors such as banking, energy and health.
The demand for expert professionals in AI, Big Data, cybersecurity and data engineering, the most necessary skills, is growing, but the supply is not doing so at the same pace, due to the lack of practical experience, international competition and the evolution of technology, characterized by its speed.
Within IT skills, the market has especially demanded, in recent months, MLOps expert profiles capable of deploying AI models in production, data engineers, cloud architects and platform engineering specialists for multicloud environments, and cybersecurity experts who can integrate regulatory frameworks such as DORA and NIS2 into the technological architecture. The need for API design specialists for the management of distributed ecosystems also increases.
The consequence of not having enough professionals with the necessary IT skills is that less than 50% of digital initiatives achieve their intended business objectives, according to Gartner. For this reason, Alten has developed a strategy to strengthen the technological and training capabilities of its teams, with a plan for continuous training and certifications through learning platforms, certification programs, webinars with experts and internal specialization sessions.
On the other hand, it has its own program aimed at students in the last stage of their university or technical training, which allows them to learn about the reality of the market and participate in real projects.
The company proposes various solutions to alleviate the talent shortage, including the creation of corporate academies in critical disciplines, such as cybersecurity or MLOps, alliances with universities and technological bootcamps, and the adoption of hiring models based more on practical skills than on academic degrees. That is, it moves the debate on digitalization of investment in technology to the ability of companies to attract, train and retain talent.
Luisa Fernández, HRBP at ALTEN Spainpoints out that «It is not enough to master the theory. CIOs need professionals capable of taking an artificial intelligence model from the laboratory to production, with all the governance and security that that implies. The shortage is no longer just a salary issue. There is a lack of a bridge between academic training and practice in real environments. And without that bridge, projects are delayed or do not materialize at all.«.
Fernández also highlights that «In the projects we lead we see a clear difference: companies that invest in internal academies and reskilling plans manage to attract and retain talent, while those that rely solely on purchasing technology encounter barriers that slow down their return on investment. Talent stays where it finds real technical challenges. It is not just a question of salaries, but of offering trajectories and projects that give meaning to the professional career.«.
