25 Aug 2006
The percentage of firms reporting IT skills shortages has increased from 12 per cent to 14 per cent, according to the latest UK IT Inquiry by e-Skills UK.
The consequent impact of these gaps on UK businesses has this summer reached the highest level recorded in a year.
On an impact scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is 'no effect' and 100 is 'company closure', firms reporting gaps in the skills of IT staff rated the effect at 48.
In addition, 20 per cent of IT recruiters stated that they had difficulties finding applicants with the required level of skills - a three per cent rise from the fourth quarter of 2005. Despite skills gaps being more common, 20 per cent of firms surveyed stated that they would still not train staff over the coming year.
Des Lekerman, Managing Director at Eurodata Systems, said: 'In today's fast paced business environment one of the biggest risks that a company faces is the recruitment of temporary contract IT staff. This is particularly evident during the summer months when many contract workers take holidays.'
What do you think? Email us at feedback@computing.co.uk
Further Reading:
IT departments and software producers have focused on technical skill, when business has wanted more business-like skills. Often hiring skilled or near-skilled staff with poor team playing qualities or poor communication skills some being extremely rude to customers and staff, but kept on "due to lack of skilled staff" But companies will not train in-house specialists.???
When revising for or sitting an MCSE there is the Microsoft answer and a real work answer, Many IT staff ignore the impact of changes or some time the lack of benifits from using a piece of technology. Too many government IT projects have focused on technology rather than organise human intefarcing between departments and sharing information
Posted by: ben 21 Jun 2007
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