This week’s launch of the Coalition’s skills strategy by Business Secretary Vince Cable confirms that contractors remain responsible for the management and funding of their own skills development and training. For many contractors this is nothing new. But the fear of falling behind in the skills ‘arms race’ is what prevents many people from making the transition from permanent employment to contracting.
Becoming a dinosaur was one of my greatest fears when I first considered becoming an IT contractor. I subsequently discovered this seed of doubt was deliberately sown by the management of the ‘body shop’ I worked for to discourage skilled techies from starting our own contracting business.
In fact, keeping your contracting skills up-to-date is much easier to manage when you start contracting because you, and not a manager keen to minimise costs and keep you under the thumb, are in control. So, once I’d made the transition, I discovered there is nothing to worry about as long as you have a personal skills, training and development strategy. And of course for those who are chartered professionals, their future training plan is taken care of, through their requirement to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) to retain professional status.
I quickly learned that the best way to enhance your contracting skill set is to use each contract as a stepping stone to the next, by introducing new technologies, and the skills required to manage them, on each current project. I’d take time out, at my own limited company’s expense, to attend geeky Microsoft conventions. I voraciously devoured new books on the latest technology and I would work on ‘R&D’ at home, in my lunch break and after hours.
When I identified a link between the new skills and knowledge I was acquiring, and therefore a tangible business benefit for a client, I’d propose a project that would often start with a prototype I’d created in my own time and at my own cost. This was a crucial stage: it is important not to propose something new just for the sake of using a new technology, as most client project managers would identify your motives and turn down the proposal. On the other hand, some clients want the latest technology buzzwords on their own CVs; so it’s all about recognising an opportunity and making a business case.
The quid pro quo is where you offer to share your knowledge with permanent employees of the client via mentoring and desk-based teaching, in exchange for the client giving you the valuable commercial experience of introducing new technologies. Of course, to avoid future complications and IR35 issues, this knowledge sharing needs to be part of the contract, or a contract amendment.
The state won’t help workers at your level to maintain your skills, even those required for professional CPD, so the onus is on you to ensure you stay abreast of advances in your field and identify opportunities when they arise. That way, you don’t get left in a professional backwater and will always have your foot in the door of the most interesting contracts at the highest rates.
Crucially, your skills development projects must be priced in the language of benefits to your client. If your client recognises the benefits of your skills development to their business, it’s a done deal and a win-win.