The adventures of a technology career

Robert is not pleased. ‘Having spent 20 years in IT, I tell young people: do not make the same mistake I made.’

Responding to a recent blog posting on computing.co.uk from Toshiba UK’s IT director Sandra Smith, he outlines why technology graduates should avoid computing jobs. ‘IT is boring, age discrimination is rampant and – once whatever technology you are familiar with is obsolete – so are you.’

Robert certainly knows how to take the hard line, attacking the technology industry at multiple levels: stimulation, ageism and skills. So what spurred his ire? Was Sandra Smith’s piece really that controversial?

Like so many technology skills experts, the Toshiba executive highlighted how public and private sectors should work together to publicise IT as a rewarding career for young people – something her critic obviously feels is unlikely to happen.

It is to be hoped that Robert is wrong. After all, figures from sector skills body e-Skills UK show the number of students taking A-levels in computing has declined by 43 per cent during the past five years.

Uptake of IT-related degrees has also slumped by 46 per cent during a similar period. Worse, fewer than three in 10 (28 per cent) of the UK’s IT graduates enter technology occupations.

And why would they when blue-chip finance businesses pay big bucks for computer graduates with a high level of numeric and technical literacy?

But here is the rub: working in finance is tedious. Life is too short to be an accountant or an economist, adding up big numbers and working with IT consultants’ tax returns.

Smith’s article highlights how young people really do find technology interesting – and it is not surprising. A career in IT offers an entrance to the innovative career path of system design, testing and realisation, rather than the mundane finance world of paper and maths.

I understand there is a bunch of disgruntled technology workers rightly frustrated by the IT industry’s failure to take a collective approach. Some technology leaders, for example, might have jettisoned experienced workers with legacy skills. They may also have failed to be inclusive, as just 19 per cent of IT workers are women.

But change will only happen with affirmative action, and encouraging more young people to enter the technology industry is one crucial step towards transformation.