When it comes to recruiting high-caliber tech personnel, US firms are struggling. Figures show that at the end of 2020, around 1.4 million computer science-related vacancies remained unfilled. The US produces around 65,000 computer science graduates each year, which means it’s unlikely the gap between supply and demand is likely to lessen any time soon. 

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly comfortable with recruiting remote workers to fill their vacancies, which is where the pool of highly skilled and qualified South American tech specialists can help to fill the current computer science personnel gap.

Here we take a look at some of the reasons why Latin America has such a rich supply of IT developers and tech personnel that may be successfully recruited into the US labor force.

IT Hubs

Increasing access to venture capital over the past decade or so has provided a powerful catalyst for growth in South America’s IT sector. In much the same way as Silicon Valley became a hub of IT activity during the 1980s, there are now several areas in the country where the concentration of tech-related industry is high. Some of these include Sao Paulo (Brazil), Mexico City (Mexico), Medellin (Columbia), and Buenos Aries (Argentina).

The businesses in these areas (amongst others) employ domestic computer science graduates, equipping them with the skills and experience necessary to become high-value IT workers. Not only can these workers be successfully recruited to help plug the US computer science skills shortage, a high percentage of these workers are also highly likely to start their own companies at some point. In time, they will recruit more staff, perpetuating the growth of the sector.

Increasing IT Business Start-ups

Some figures suggest that the number of tech start-ups has tripled over the past four years in South America! With the continent also recognized as the second most enterprising region globally, it’s clear that there is an enormous amount of tech talent that could potentially be utilized by US companies.

Increasing Numbers of Computer Science Graduates

South American universities are providing high-caliber computer science courses, meaning that hundreds of thousands of graduates are available each year.

For American development team managers and related recruiters, South American tech talent is a good source of workers that have the right skills to compete in a global marketplace. Wage differentials also mean that remote-working South American team members can be a cost-effective choice.

Get in touch with the team at Número 8 to discover more about the potential for highly skilled South American tech personnel to provide the high-grade skills you need to lead the way in the competitive arena of computer science.