Demand rockets for IT graduates

Graduates with IT qualifications are the second most sought-after, according a new study of graduate recruitment, but they can only expect to be paid an average salary.

Demand for IT skills has rocketed, according to a survey of graduate jobs conducted by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR).

In 2009/10 IT accounted for just eight per cent of graduate vacancies. This figure has since risen to 13 per cent, making IT second only to accounting in terms of demand in 2010/11. The total number of graduate vacancies has risen by three per cent since 2009/10.

According to the survey, the average starting salary for a graduate entering the IT profession is £25,500, about the same as the overall average starting salary for graduates.

But the report also highlighted the intense competition for graduate vacancies, with 83 applications expected for each position.

A significant chunk of the IT vacancies look to be coming from consultancy firms, which reported a staggering 149 per cent increase in graduate vacancies during 2010/11.

One recruitment consultant specialising in consulting jobs quoted in the report said many of the jobs were for people with technology skills.

The study adds weight to the argument that firms are preparing for a recovering economy, said Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR. “The graduate recruitment market is beginning to overcome the impact of the recession.”

The results are based on a survey of more than 200 graduate recruitment firms carried out in spring 2011.