More than half (53 per cent) of young people with IT qualifications are upbeat about finding employment in the next year despite the downturn, according to a BCS-commissioned survey of 16-30 year olds.

And only 19 per cent of under-30s agreed with the statement "IT is boring".

The research, contained in a report titled Why We Should Learn To Love IT, shows fewer non-IT literate people (42 per cent) confident about their own prospects, which the BCS suggests means the downturn is creating an employment divide between the digital "can's and can'ts".

"Young people realise even basic IT skills are now essential to their long-term employment prospects. They recognise that IT is a dynamic, global profession that offers a rewarding career equal to other traditional professions," said Jennifer Hewitt from the BCS Young Professionals Group.

The BCS research also shows the majority of 16-to-30-year olds (57 per cent) accept that "those without IT skills will struggle at work" and 49 per cent agree that "employers should get extra financial help to train people in IT business skills".

As to which would be the "job of choice", 36 per cent opted for a web-based IT career, while 33 per cent would like to work in the computer games industry. An education/training IT-related position tempted 25 per cent of those polled, while software development got 24 per cent of the votes. Perhaps the most important area, network design, would attract only 17 per cent of the sample.

Another view of IT the survey picked up was that it was seen as an equal opportunities profession, with 49 per cent agreeing that jobs in IT are ‘"more open to entrants of different sexes, ages, classes or creeds than other professions", while only 15 per cent disagree. This finding comes despite the fact that only 18 per cent of UK IT workers are female.

The survey carried out by market information and research firm TNS, polled 922 16-30 year old adults in England, Scotland and Wales mid-April 2009.