Business wants additional skills from IT

The latest research from e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT, Telecoms and Contact Centres, shows that 57 per cent of employers believe their IT staff require additional skills.

This is an increase from the 2002 figure of 46 per cent which, the report believes, highlights the importance of developing the skills of existing staff to increase industry productivity in the UK. The 'e-skills Regional Gap - UK' report also found that programming and IT operating system skills were most in demand.

In terms of the supply pipeline of future industry professionals, the number of candidates taking an IT-related subject in secondary education continues to increase year on year. In the UK as a whole, more than 135,000 students took an IT-related GCSE in the academic year ending in 2001, up from just over 100,000 two years previously, with more than 50 per cent gaining grades A-C. In the same year, over 27,000 students entered an A Level in Computer Studies or associated Scottish Higher, with over 75 per cent achieving a pass. More than 80,000 candidates completed a course equivalent to NVQ proficiency levels in 2002.

Another key finding from the report says that previously underserved regions/devolved administrations in terms of the IT workforce are set to experience growth over the next year. Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North East, the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside and the East of England can all expect their IT workforces to increase by between 0.5 per cent and 4 per cent over the next twelve months. However, an expected drop in previously strong regions balances this growth, with employers in London and the South East expecting their IT staff levels to drop by 2.5 per cent and 7 per cent respectively, with over 24,000 jobs being lost.

The report, which sets out IT employers' needs in the UK, outlines how the workforce might be developed and details some priority actions including:

• setting up programmes that will help employers increase the skills of their IT professionals
  
• promoting the capability of further education to develop the IT workforce, particularly at level 3 and above
  
• encouraging schools to fully engage in IT education
  
• addressing the specific issues identified within each region/devolved administrations
  
• strengthening links between employers and the higher/further education sectors to ensure that course content and qualifications are relevant
  
• prompting employers to take up employee assessment and development programmes
  
• continuing to increase the number of GCSE-level Computer Science candidates and the number of students taking numerate A Levels
  
• ensuring that graduates are more workplace ready.

Summary of report's findings

A summary of the report's findings is:

• 57 per cent of employers report that their IT staff require additional skills (up from 46 per cent in 2002)
  
• Programming and IT operating system skills are most in demand
  
• That the number of candidates taking IT at secondary level continues to rise. Over 27,000 students entered an A Level in Computer Studies or associated Scottish Higher, with over 75 per cent achieving a pass. More than 80,000 candidates completed a course equivalent to NVQ proficiency levels in 2002
  
• Priorities for developing the workforce and addressing skills gaps
  
• IT workforces in London and South East expected to drop in next 12 months; Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North expected to experience growth.