LETTERS (18 Sept 1997)

I find it very disturbing to read that there is a shortage of IT skills in the UK.
Having just graduated from the University of Leeds, I find myself, along with hundreds of thousands of IT graduates, stuck inside a vicious circle.
No experience = no job;
No job = no experience.
Employers need to open their eyes and realise the need to take on graduates, then train and re-train as and when necessary.
Gregory Janiec, Unemployed, London

Wasted talent
If employers were more open they would find that there are lots of people wanting to get involved with all aspects of the computer industry.
I am 26 years old. Two years ago I decided to give up my job any returned to college to study for an HND in business IT, which I passed in July.
The college ran three computer related courses, and in total 30 students gained an HND. Out of the 30, not one of us has secured employment in our related fields, because you can't get a job without experience, but you can't get experience without a job.
If employers changed their policies and made entry into the industry less complicated, there wouldn't be such a skills crisis.
joker@clara.net

Skills shortage a myth
I have seen very little indication that the skills shortage exists. If it did, surely more employers would be prepared to train people in the skills that they need, rather than only interviewing the small number of people who exactly match the experience that they want.
As an obvious example, I can program in C, Forth, Basic and several assemblers, but I cannot apply for a job that uses C++ or Java, because I don't already know the language. Surely learning a new programming language is the least taxing part of starting a new job.
Mark Browne, Senior design engineer, AIT Recorders
mbrowne@ccmail.ait.ca

Software helps with skills
It is no secret that there is a skills crisis in the UK. Companies are complaining that they are being held back because they can't find the right people to employ.
People often leave their company because with their experience and skills, another organisation will give a better salary and more responsibility.
It seems like an obvious solution would be to continue training personnel so that they are always up to speed on developments.
Recruitment software makes this process very simple and effective. It allows employers to scan the experience of their employees and see which skills need updating, or which employees have strengths that could be used better within the organisation.
Frances Keane, Neva Group, London

Paperless in practice
I read with interest your front page story on Putrajaya, the future paperless capital of Malaysia (Computing 28 August).
The company I work for is currently moving in the direction of going paperless, and I would be interested to read any details on how the Malaysian government intends to achieve this.
Without any background knowledge of the situation, I have to assume that Malaysia wants a paperless capital because it is one of the biggest wood producers in the world.
The country will have removed all of its rain forests by the the first decade of the new millennium. This would mean having to import wood pulp, so it makes sense to go paperless.
Darren Woodiwiss, Analyst programmer, Eagle-Picher Fluid Systems
darrenw@fluidsysuk.epcorp.com

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