What IT leaders need to know about expanding responsibilities, new titles and hot skills for network professionals and I&O teams.
Network and infrastructure roles continue to shift as enterprises adopt technologies such as AI-driven network operations, multicloud networking, zero trust network access (ZTNA), and SD-WAN. Here’s a recap of some of the latest industry research, hiring statistics, and certification trends that impact today’s network professionals, infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders, and data center teams. Check back for regular updates.
Why poaching isn’t helping the data center staffing crisis
Data center operators are feeling the strain of a growing staffing crisis—and many are turning to talent poaching as a quick fix. But new analysis from Uptime Institute warns that relying on hiring from competitors is an unsustainable strategy that deepens long‑term risks. Drawing on recent survey data, Uptime finds that shortages are no longer confined to junior roles. Operations management and electrical trades are now under mounting pressure as experienced staff retire, expansion accelerates, and too few new people are trained to take their place. Workforce strategy must be a priority, Uptime warns. Treating people, skills, and development with the same seriousness as power, cooling, and network design will be essential if operators want to build and retain the teams that keep their data centers running. Read the full story: Data center poaching adds to staffing crisis
March 2026
CompTIA cert addresses the cybersecurity-AI trifecta
CompTIA introduced a certification program that the training organizations says will help technology professionals validate skills focused on securing AI systems and applying AI within cybersecurity environments. The CompTIA SecAI+ cert is a new professional certification that covers how to secure AI platforms, how to use AI to improve processes such as incident response and threat intelligence, and how AI can automate compliance and risk management under human guidance—the cybersecurity-AI trifecta, according to Dr. James Stanger, chief technology evangelist at CompTIA. CompTIA SecAI+ is the first certification in the company’s new Expansion Series, designed to complement existing certifications such as Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+. Read the full story: CompTIA launches SecAI+ certification
February 2026
Automation threatens network admin roles
Network administrators might be seeing less pay and less demand for their skills as AI and automation adoption increase, according to recent data from Foote Partners. Traditional network administration roles are seeing declining premiums as automation takes hold, but architectural and engineering skills remain in high demand, the research reveals. Network architecture commands an 18% pay premium, while skills involving network design, security architecture, and cloud migration strategy continue to show strong value. The systems/networking category showed a 1.9% decline in average premiums this quarter, with the steepest drops in monitoring and operations roles being automated by AIOps platforms. Level-1 NOC monitoring, basic network configuration, and manual security monitoring are all seeing reduced demand as intelligent automation takes over routine tasks, Foote says. Read the full story: IT bonuses reward network, security skills that can’t be automated
February 2026
U.S. tech companies cut 170,000 jobs in 2025
The global technology sector eliminated approximately 245,000 jobs in 2025, driven by economic uncertainty, elevated interest rates, and the rapid adoption of AI and automation. According to a RationalFX report, U.S.-based technology companies accounted for roughly 70% of global tech job losses, cutting more than 170,000 positions across domestic and international operations. California led American states with 73,499 job cuts, followed by Washington with 42,221 cuts and New York with 26,900. Intel experienced the largest single-company reduction, cutting approximately 34,000 roles. Other major U.S. companies with significant layoffs included Amazon (20,000+), Microsoft (19,215), Verizon (15,000), and IBM (9,000). RationalFX analysts predict layoffs will continue into early 2026. Read the full story here.
January 2026
Tech hiring slows in 2025
According to IT industry employment analysis from CompTIA, technology companies reduced staffing by an estimated 6,878 positions, with most cuts occurring in IT services, custom software, and systems design. The tech sector employs approximately 5.3 million workers, but tech occupation employment—which includes tech roles across all industries—declined by an estimated 134,000 workers, pushing the unemployment rate for tech occupations up slightly to 4%. Job postings for tech roles totaled nearly 436,000 in November, including 174,085 new postings. Still, year-to-date job posting volumes remain slightly ahead of 2024 levels. Demand remains strongest for software developers and engineers, IT support, systems architects, cybersecurity professionals, and AI engineers. CompTIA’s AI Hiring Intent Index shows that 41% of active tech job postings now require AI skills or are dedicated AI roles, underscoring the growing importance of AI capabilities even as overall hiring slows.
Source: https://www.networkworld.com/article/2093749/network-jobs-watch-hiring-skills-and-certification-trends.html
