Degree no longer a prerequisite for tech jobs, study finds

More than half of cloud technology professionals, including those that work in Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, do not regard a university degree essential for tech roles, according to a recent study.

The report, conducted by Jefferson Frank, surveyed more than 3000 tech professionals and found 55% of those that worked in cloud technology said that having a degree was not a necessary factor in finding a role.

Adding to that, only just over a third of cloud technology professionals believed a degree was important for working in technology more generally.

What’s surprising is that the majority of tech professionals surveyed (99%) held a higher education qualification beyond high school.

The report suggested that the reason attitudes to college degrees are changing may be because traditional paths to professional careers via a college degree are proving less reliable, with many graduates struggling to find a job.

Another explanation might be that obtaining a college degree has become more costly.

The study will come as welcome news to many aspiring to a career in technology, as we reported last month – most people believe that they either lack the right qualifications or that it would cost too much money to invest in training.

James Lloyd-Townshend, CEO of Jefferson Frank, said that the results showed that the tech industry was becoming more inclusive.

“It definitely feels like progress to see that just a third of tech professionals would insist that you need a degree to pursue a career in tech right now.”

“This really should mean that tech jobs and certification pathways become more accessible to those who haven’t attended college.”

“We absolutely have to be working to expand inclusion and access to opportunities within the tech space for those who haven’t been to college. And in the context of the digital skills gap, we truly cannot afford not to be pursuing and supporting this untapped talent pool,” he added.