One way to fix the IT talent shortage? Build a partnership with a prestigious tech university.

That's exactly what Accenture has done with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and it hopes the program will bring up the company's next generation of IT leaders.

The IT talent shortage is a major issue affecting solution providers, particularly SMBs. By 2020, Code.org predicts that there will be 1.4 million computing jobs and only 400,000 computer science students ready to fill the positions, a potential $500 billion gap in the labor force. On top of that, VARs say technical talent just isn't enough these days, and they are also struggling to find employees with the necessary business, communication and strategy skills. 

To help close that gap, Accenture has forged a new partnership with MIT's Sloan School of Management. While Accenture has partnered with MIT in the past for other technology-focused programs, this latest Accenture Technology Executive Development Program will focus on developing three key leadership skills in up-and-coming leaders: strategy, capability and change management.

"In the digital world, IT and business are converging. The business is more and more dependent on IT for success and technology is becoming a core competency to compete. Cloud, mobility, analytics, social and collaboration technologies now allow organizations to tap into vast pools of resources across the world and create disruptive business models. Future IT leaders need to be able to understand these new technologies, the ecosystem and how they can be used to help companies achieve business value," Sanjeev Vohra, managing director, Accenture Global Delivery Network Technology and Digital Lead, told IT Best of Breed in an email.

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