Full Stack Development in the UK: Skill Gaps

Global Employability


In any tech organization, creation of software is generally categorical where different teams work on different aspects of the same product. A full stack developer, on the other hand, is someone who is capable of covering all aspects of software development. There are a few must-have skills when it comes to full stack development that a lot of programming novices overlook.

Today, we look at what full stack development covers and what sort of skill gaps are lacking when we talk about full stack development in the United Kingdom.


Define Full Stack Development


Full stack development is the process of developing both front and back ends of a software, usually a web application. While the front end is what a client sees, the back end forms an integral part of how the client feels. Full stack development only deals with the design and development of the front end and the back end but it also focuses on testing the software and controlling the software versions during development. Full stack development requires the right set of skills without which, understanding where and when to use what technology would become challenging. This is especially important today considering the wide array of options developers have when it comes to creating software.

The front end forms the interface with which clients interact. This is important because the first thing a client notices is how a website looks and not what its functionality encompasses. Front end development requires one to know different languages and concepts including HTML, Javascript (React and Angular), CSS (Bootstrap, Bulma), DOM, JSON, and jquery among others. The back end is the engine of a web application. It is responsible for creating the logic based on which a website may run, the servers on which data is going to be stored and retrieved from, and managing databases. Some of the back end programming languages to learn include Python, Java, Node, and PHP. While these languages are great for developing the back end of web applications, they aren’t adequate for designing, manipulating, and maintaining databases. For that, one would have to learn MongoDB, SQL, and PostgreSQL.


Skill gaps in the UK


The United Kingdom has quietly been turning the tide in its favour and many cities have begun to compete for the top spot in technology. London has been considered to be among the global hotspots for technological advancements and has been hailed as one of the best places for computer programmers to thrive. However, as with any opportunity in the tech field, there is a lot of gap between the actual demand versus the supply of full stack developers. It was estimated that over 500,000 additional jobs would be created in 2022 in the United Kingdom alone. But this figure was over three times more than the actual number of computer science graduates produced by institutions in the UK! Add to this the fact that the tech sector is growing at over 2.5 times faster than other sectors and you have a large divide on your hands that becomes quite difficult to fill. Some of the key digital technologies to learn for potential tech employees include cloud computing, data analytics, cyber security, AI, the Internet of Things, and 5G related tech.

When it comes to full stack development, the key skills that are found lacking in graduates are in terms of the programming languages one needs to know, at least on a fundamental level. Node, React, Angular, MongoDB, SQL, HTML, CSS, C++, Python, Javascript, JSON and jQuery are some of the key programming tools and technologies that most existing employees seem to lack knowledge about. In addition to all of this, good communication skills and problem-solving skills are also must-haves!

The average salary for a full stack developer in the UK is around £49,000 while experienced developers can expect a salary of around £70,000! It only goes up with experience and skill, so the best time to start learning full stack development is now!


Date added
01.02.2022

Filed under:

Global Employability

Subscribe!

No spam, just your favourite topics.

Choose Insight topics that you are interested in to subscribe for your personalized newsletter.

A world
of possibilities awaits.
Join the movement.
Find your perfect university,
in one of 40 countries all over the world
Prepare for the future,
whether at university, business or in employment
Secure your future,
through STEM courses
Connect with leading international companies
and unlock the potential of your team
Fill in the form, so we can contact
you and start our journey together.