Those of you still trying to address your staffing problems probably haven’t considered checking the benches of the Boston Common, Port Authority bus terminal or Golden Gate Park. Well, you may be way behind the times. Because according to our counterparts across the pond, this could be the thinking of the future.Gordon Brown, the U.K.’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently announced plans for the British government to train the “long-term unemployed” to fill a growing list of vacancies in Britain’s technology sector. According to Brown, 5,000 technician jobs will be set aside for unemployed people who successfully complete a training course. Companies like IBM, Microsoft and Oracle have agreed to provide the jobs in return for the government footing the bill for the training.The three-year pilot project, called Ambition IT, will cost the government about $70 million. The plan calls for trainees to receive technician jobs with salaries between $21,000 and $28,000. The government also plans to put another 15,000 people through a basic IT skills training course to enhance their employability.Of course, if the economy keeps going the way it is, trained IT professionals could be occupying those same park benches. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe