IT skills are imperative for graduates

Graduates would be well-advised to start acquiring IT skills now, because significant opportunities and rewards are going to be available for technically proficient job candidates in the next few years.

Research by the University of Swansea suggests that over a typical working life, degrees in computing or technology are worth as much as £200,000 more in earnings than an arts degree.

But companies are struggling to find good-quality technology candidates. Skills body e-Skills UK reports that more than a third (34 per cent) of businesses with job vacancies for IT employees find these roles hard to fill, and some 42 per cent believe difficulties in finding workers has a major effect on their operations.

Businesses also report that 39 per cent of employees are not competent in everyday IT skills, with basic functions such as word processing, databases and spreadsheets causing most concern.

Such deficiencies are surprising because graduates entering any company will quickly find that IT is ubiquitous, says Robert Chapman, founder of the Training Camp.

'There can't be any businesses that do not rely on IT - from the mighty blue-chip to the young startup: technology is the electronic heartbeat of them all,' he says.

But the University of Swansea's figures disguise some of the fundamental flaws that the industry has yet to tackle. For women, for example, the lifetime benefits of computing can be up to 25 per cent less than their male counterparts.

But help may be at hand, As part of e-Skills UK's Sector Skills Agreement for IT (SSA for IT), the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has pledged £8.4m to Computer Clubs for Girls (CC4G), an out-of-school initiative that will encourage 150,000 girls in 3,600 schools to consider a career in technology.

Employers are expected to contribute £22m to CC4G by 2008, in the form of software donations, time and cash. Minister for Skills Phil Hope says SSA for IT, and programmes such as CC4G, will help redress a serious workforce imbalance.

'It is crucial that women are involved so we can meet employers' needs,' he says.

But the Swansea University report also refers to the drop in the number of students studying science and technology in recent years.

Karen Price, chief executive of e-Skills UK, hopes the SSA for IT will encourage employers to be more involved in skills issues - and that workers will begin to see the benefits of a career in technology.

'The most important thing employers can give me is time, by rolling up their sleeves and helping me to deliver some of this,' she says. 'We want a broad platform against which specific skills can be added throughout an employee's career.'

But what areas should graduates be concentrating on? What will UK plc require from aspiring technology professionals during the next three years?

Sandra Smith, IS director at Toshiba UK, says companies and technology leaders take it as an absolute given that graduates will come to the workplace equipped with basic IT skills, including the ability to use word processing, spreadsheet and presentation tools. But most companies need that little bit extra.

'Businesses need graduates to have an appreciation and enthusiasm for how IT enables the modern business world, such as the internet, email, mobile communications and databases. But unless they're going to work in IT, I don't think it's necessary that graduates are particularly expert with the details of the technology,' she says.

'It's more important that graduates are aware of the possibilities of technology and know how to research and present their findings. I'm not sure it's an IT skill - but problem-solving, mental energy, planning and lateral thinking always seem to be in short supply. You can't put good systems in without them, that's for sure.'

Experts also suggest business will require a range of specific technical skills from graduates over the next three years.

Lisa Jobson, manager of recruitment firm Harvey Nash's managed services department, says basic development skills gained from university courses, such as Java, C++, analytics and web development, will still be important. These skills, she suggests, will help to support the growth and development of talent within large companies.

Chapman says security skills should be a priority for graduates. 'With reliance on technology comes significant risks from unsecured systems and networks. Today's graduates need to understand their chosen field within the context of a secure environment,' he says.

'Applications developers, network administrators and support staff all have a responsibility to ensure they are building, administering and supporting systems not only from a functional perspective, but from a secure perspective.'

But as well as the need for specific technical skills, Chapman says the role of project management will continue to increase in importance.

'It's no longer the case that an employee's day-to-day tasks and activities exist in isolation. IT systems are hugely complex and massively integrated across all facets of the business,' he says.

'Gone are the days of standalone systems. Acting as part of a project team will be a key skill for all IT staff to ensure that new or changed systems are deployed with the least risk to the business.'

Technology is - and will remain - integral to efficient business processes. So there's no need to fret about the perceived threat of outsourcing and offshoring, says Carl Dawson, IT director at Thomas Cook.

'The demand for IT is just going to grow and grow because it's part of our business world. Yes, things are being offshored - but I don't think that necessarily has a negative effect on the UK. If you look around, the demand for IT people is huge,' he says.

Dawson says a change in the skills mix is taking place. IT graduates moving into the technology sector will still need technical ability, but they can also expect to be performing more management tasks.

The rewards for the perceptive graduate could be great. Fahri Zihni, ICT director at Aston University, says the private and public sectors desperately need well-balanced graduates, with a keen interest in technology, to eventually become IT managers.

'As shown by many salary surveys, the highest-rising salaries over the past five years have been for managers because we just do not have enough,' he says.

'Business analysts are also in short supply - people who can sit between people and technology and manage change: ensuring procurement is on the basis of a sensible rationale, and systems are implemented properly and successfully.'

Expert view: John Worth

While technical skills are useful, and an awareness of current and emerging technologies is important, it is not, in our opinion, where the emphasis should be.

Graduates need a good grounding in one or two technologies, but there is no guarantee they would actually work with these. WebLogic and Oracle are high on Prudential's technical priorities right now, but who knows what the future will hold?

The dynamic nature of an IT environment means that the ability to change from one technology or platform to another is more important than possessing one or more technical skills.

Another essential element to a graduate's toolkit should be an understanding of both the development lifecycle and the project lifecycle.

As well as developing the UK's skills base in science and technology, the government should also have a desire to actually prepare graduates for the workplace.

There should be a far better partnership between universities and businesses to help to achieve this.

Work placement should not be used for menial tasks such as photocopying and tidying up stationery cupboards to keep the student busy.

Students should be able to plan, develop, present and deliver a usable product to the business. They should be able to feel the pressure of working to quality and deadline constraints. It should be all about practice, not theory.

John Worth is chief information officer of financial services specialist Prudential