(BPT) - By Brittany Murrey, Executive Vice President, Talent Solutions at Per Scholas

In a business environment where technology is constantly evolving, companies face challenges that need to be met by a skilled, trained workforce. The difficulty for business leaders is finding enough talent to meet the moment, with the exact skills required for today's largest areas of concern.

A new survey^[1] conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Per Scholas, a national non-profit offering no-cost technology training in the most sought-after tech skills, surveyed 1,000 cybersecurity and data center executives and 1,000 employees working in tech to uncover insights about current threats and hurdles facing businesses. The survey results reveal three main areas of concern to help leaders understand how they should be hiring and training workers, while also guiding employees in transforming themselves into in-demand candidates.

Cybersecurity threats

There's still a belief that only large enterprises need robust cybersecurity measures, but in reality, every organization - big or small - faces risks. According to the data, nearly two-thirds (64%) of C-Suite technology executives rank cybersecurity threats including data breaches and ransomware attacks as the biggest threat to U.S. businesses over the next decade. Top employee concerns include phishing (52%), external threats (42%), lack of encryption (41%), and less than half of employees (48%) believe their company is "very prepared" to prevent cybersecurity attacks. In fact, 56% of surveyed companies report defending against hacking attempts, 43% experienced data breaches and 14% experienced successful hacks.

These heightened cyber risks directly translate to significant talent demands, especially given the nearly 500,000 open cybersecurity roles nationwide.^[2] Data from the survey reveals that cybersecurity (53%), adaptability and problem-solving (52%), AI proficiency (42%) and digital/technical skills (38%) are most in demand for future hiring, highlighting a critical need for accessible training in these areas.

Growing data centers

Data centers - facilities where servers and networking equipment are stored and distributed on a large scale - are the essential backbone of our increasingly digital economy. They manage vast amounts of customer and client data, providing the critical capacity and infrastructure that modern businesses depend on.

The survey found that a whopping 95% of executives and 89% of employees view data centers as integral to managing data, and believe they'll only become more integral over time. The exponential growth of data centers underscores their critical role in the economy; however, there's a significant confidence gap in meeting future demand. Only 57% of C-Suite and 37% of employees feel "very confident" the industry will be able to keep up with this rising demand over the next five years.

Decision makers and workers agree that cybersecurity (82%), problem-solving (79%) and communication (61%) skills are essential for data center professionals. However, recruiting, retention and upskilling for these roles remain significant challenges.

The AI frontier

AI is finding its way into everything from day-to-day workloads to big-picture strategy. As this landscape continues evolving rapidly, 48% of business leaders surveyed believe integrating AI and other emerging technologies is a top challenge, while 35% point to growing rules and regulations surrounding AI as one of the biggest hurdles ahead.

Adapting to these challenges is top of mind for leaders, as nearly all (95%) say increased awareness and use of AI has an impact on how they store data, and a further 87% believe AI has already played an integral role and changed which challenges their businesses face.

Training to meet challenges

With nearly half of executives saying they regularly hire entry-level talent, skills training continues to be an effective solution to quickly meet the rising demand for talent. Fortunately, the Per Scholas survey suggests employees are ready and willing to upskill to protect sensitive data. By offering comprehensive training, businesses can embrace AI innovations and other challenges without sacrificing security. Strengthening security practices, investing in the right talent and building a reliable data infrastructure will help ensure sustainable growth for everyone in this connected landscape.

Per Scholas programs, provided at no cost to learners, offer industry-recognized training, equipping learners with job-ready technical and professional skills. For thirty years, Per Scholas has expanded access to high-growth technology careers and fostered economic mobility nationwide. On average, learners earn three times their pre-training wage in their first role. Per Scholas partners with employers - from Fortune 500 companies to startups - to create inclusive talent pipelines in fields like Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support and Software Engineering, empowering individuals to unlock their potential and drive transformative economic change nationwide.

Learn more at PerScholas.org, and follow this link to read more about the survey.

[1] Survey methodology: Talker Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. C-Suite and Direct Managers in Cyber Security and Data Center roles and 1,000 employed Americans working in technology; the survey was commissioned by Per Scholas and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Feb. 26 and March 5, 2025.

[2] "Cybersecurity Supply And Demand Heat Map." Cyberseek, CyberSeek.org/heatmap.html. Accessed 9 May 2025.