08 Feb 2008
The skills shortage in the IT industry has increased from a 4.2 per cent shortfall in people last year to 6.8 per cent this year - the highest in the past decade, according to researchers.
The study carried out by the National Computing Centre (NCC) found that shortages are seen as a recruitment problem rather than a retention issue.
Some 73 per cent of employers that indicated the need for new skills plan to acquire them by re-skilling and training existing staff.
“With some skills moving into shortage, employers should be planning and budgeting for how best to acquire these skills now,” said NCC head of content Ian Jones.
“It is an unwelcome message but they should be prepared for the extra cost.”
The study suggests that professionals with Oracle, SAP, Microsoft .Net, web development, network support, business analysis and project management skills, as well as virtualisation technologies, will be in high demand over the next two years.
“The repercussions of the credit crunch are unknown, but more and more organisations are doing business online so demand for web-related skills is buoyant,'" said Jones.
"The public sector is likely to find shortages painful as the pressure to limit wage inflation is high.”
I worked in IT as a software engineer for 17 years and I'm a chartered member of the BCS. I've been out of work since October 2007 and had over 20 interviews, but nobody seems to want my IT skills. I've almost given up hope of ever getting back into the IT profession. Employers need to be more flexible instead of focusing on particular skills. Just because we don't have the exact skills you want, doesn't mean we can't learn them. What's the big difference between Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 6 anyway? It's only a tool - I can still write code whichever tool I use. I could go on, but I won't. Just give us a chance to prove ourselves, otherwise all those years of experience just goes to waste.
Posted by: unemployed software engineer 02 Jul 2009
I have a BSc Computer Science (so does everyone else in IT it seems), multiple MCP qualifications (again not alone here). Yet I have been out of work now since September 2008 despite years of experience. I have the skills "they" are looking for, but because everyone else also has these skills I can't get a job. Name me one other profession where you have to keep on learning all the time whilst being paid a pittance. Those adverts saying earn £40k in IT perpetuate the myth that there is a massive skills shortage. The reality is that competition in IT is fierce and I wish I had taken a different career path. Where's the job satisfaction in IT, those who work in IT are just a punching bag for when things go wrong.
Posted by: Bob Justice 29 May 2009
This nonsense of an IT shortage is such a complete lie. There is definitely no shortage of IT workers in the UK. The greatest complaint from those wanting to get into IT is that they can't get their foot in the door due to a flooded market. Companies always demand x years experience before they'll consider any applicant, if we had a skills shortage such a limitation would not exist. The purpose of this gross lie is to ensure there'll never be a shortage; unfortunately those that invest in training themselves for a new career in IT do not find out that it is a lie until it is too late.
Posted by: Mike 17 Mar 2009
I have over 10 years in IT, an engineering degree in computing, various other engineering/electronics qualifications and also struggle to find a decent wage & a company that will invest in my IT skills.
Not getting paid well means I can't afford to pay for further IT qualifications.
Posted by: Mark 23 Jan 2009
In my place of work (1 of the 4 large banks in South Africa) there were 36 staff members in the IT department in May 2007. There are currently 25 (March 2008). And some of these have been brought in from business for 'reskilling'. Included in this count are 2 contractors with 6 month contracts. They have been trying to find people. One of the largest job sites in SA have over 900 positions listed in Gauteng for C# developers and over 700 for Java. Now THAT's a serious shortage.
Posted by: (anonymous) 13 Mar 2008
There is no skills shortage. It's an excuse used by many corporate execs to mask poor performance.
Europe has a surplus of highly qualified IT, business and consulting professionals. I speak from my own experience. Just look at the number of independent niche consultancies out there, with very experienced people behind them and with excellent credentials.
The UK National Statistics Office appears to be using an outdated methodology. I know a lot of people in the IT industry, and what we are told is not what we are seeing in the marketplace.
Another problem is that the founder mentality is missing from a lot of companies, where managers just want to just do what's on their job spec, and not think "outside the box" like a founder would do. If the HR depts of these companies were to look for ways to engage independent and interim consultants the UK Plc would have no reason to gripe about a lack of skills. What a myth!
Posted by: Anika Baker 01 Mar 2008
If the demand is high why do IT staff get so low wages?
I have a Masters degree, 2 years of good IT experience and I am looking for a job because I get only 20k.
A bus driver (that doesn't need any education) gets much more than me.
If you check lothian buses website , average salaries for bus driver is above 24k.
Posted by: Johnny 11 Feb 2008
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