| Software outsourcing services have now become | | | | training project jointly-operated by MII and NEC. |
| a new growth spot for China's information | | | | The Ministry of Commerce of China had launched |
| technology industry. But at the same time, talent | | | | an outsourcing professionals training program in |
| shortage and suboptimal talent structure have | | | | 2006, which provides funds for supporting |
| become an important factor restraining the | | | | university students to learn extra outsourcing skills |
| development of the industry. | | | | and knowledge, as well as encouraging outsourcing |
| Structural talent shortage | | | | companies to add in new training processes. The |
| China's software and information service | | | | program aims to develop 300,000 to 400,000 |
| outsourcing sector achieved revenue of US$2 | | | | experienced talents for outsourcing works, and |
| billion in 2006, up more than 50% from previous | | | | create 200,000 to 300,000 employment positions |
| comparable period. Against this backdrop, | | | | for university graduates in the next 5 years. It is |
| companies engaging in software outsourcing | | | | hoped that this program can effectively alleviate |
| businesses are growing strongly, further | | | | both the outsourcing skills shortage and graduate |
| highlighting the importance of talent recruitment. | | | | employment problems. |
| Technologies and talents are now the most | | | | Companies are also exploring new models of |
| important factors for winning outsourcing | | | | training. For example, Beyondsoft, a leading |
| contracts. | | | | software outsourcing provider for foreign clients, |
| In fact, there have been many universities and | | | | has been adopting an apprenticeship model to fill |
| collages establishing software-related courses, and | | | | the gap left by course-based training models. The |
| a lot of training institutions have also been active | | | | results are effective, but it is also expensive, |
| in this field in recent years. It was reported that | | | | time-consuming and slow. But the head of human |
| there were 1.02 million software professionals in | | | | resources in Beyondsoft, Mr Yao Shuang, thought |
| China in 2007. Then why so many software | | | | that based on the foundation of corporate |
| companies in China are still feeling the talent | | | | training, "Tutors can first educate apprentices in |
| pressure? | | | | their own department, and then apprentices can |
| The first reason is that in terms of graduate skills, | | | | spread what they learn to other departments, |
| many courses taught in universities are still lagging | | | | making it a larger-scale training process." |
| behind the actual demands of the industry. Many | | | | In addition, experts also suggested that China's |
| new recruits into a company still need to | | | | software talent development should be |
| undertake relevant training process before they | | | | professionalised. Such a thought has also been |
| can become sophisticated, which may cost the | | | | recognised by China Software Industry |
| employer time and personnel costs. And if the | | | | Association (CSIA) and industry participants. In |
| training process is outsourced to external training | | | | early 2008, CSIA kicked start its process |
| institutions, the results are usually unsatisfactory. | | | | improvement talent project, attended by several |
| Mr Liu Jinran, Vice-CEO of EDS Asia, commented | | | | software companies, in order to explore new |
| that "We did have some experience dealing with | | | | talent training models. The project specifically |
| training institutions, some of which were useless. | | | | targets the area of software process |
| Their teachers had rarely touched the systems, | | | | improvement, which has now become an |
| and teaching materials were outdated. Real training | | | | important factor affecting software companies |
| courses should be integrated with demands of | | | | winning outsourcing contracts. The project covers |
| outsourcing providers. Training should be related to | | | | segments with the most talent shortages, such |
| the development of the market and industry, | | | | as software testing, evaluation and defect |
| instead of looking at a few months' tuition fees". | | | | management. |
| Another reason is that although there are | | | | The goal of implementing this project is to |
| currently many software professionals, quality | | | | achieve a transformation of software company |
| experts are still in short supply in China. Mr Xu | | | | process improvement from an organisational level |
| Chengjun, an IT director from China Development | | | | to a combination of individual and organisational |
| Bank, revealed that when the Bank was | | | | levels. Take the example of a Capability Maturity |
| outsourcing software projects to external | | | | Model® Integration 5 (CMMI5)-qualified |
| companies, they found that in many Chinese | | | | enterprise. Engineers from this company may |
| software outsourcing providers, "lack of experts", | | | | participate in the certification evaluation of MII and |
| "expensive experts", "long process needed to | | | | other relevant bodies via the CSIA project. If |
| nurture experts" and "expert easily switching | | | | there are 10 engineers granted senior |
| jobs". It is also quite often that senior software | | | | certifications and another 10 granted middle-level |
| talents are lured away by high-paying multinational | | | | certifications, then clients may make a judgement |
| firms in China. People said that foreign companies | | | | about this company's capability from both |
| not only take away your business contracts, but | | | | organisational (CMMI) and individual (certification) |
| also your talents. | | | | levels. This CSIA project is also an important trial |
| Exploring new training models | | | | for professionalising China's software talents. The |
| In recent years, how to develop a talent matching | | | | project is due to announce its software process |
| and training mechanism has become a common | | | | improvement knowledge framework in June, and |
| goal for the Chinese government, companies and | | | | start pilot certification processes in July. It is |
| training institutions. The Ministry of Information | | | | expected that the project will deliver a |
| Industry of China has been working on | | | | considerable amount of practitioners training and |
| national-scale IT skills and outsourcing talent | | | | certification between 2009 and 2012. |
| development projects, such as the outsourcing | | | | |