Recession will prompt students to choose IT-related subjects

Technology, science and engineering are believed to provide better job prospects, says study

Recession is allegedly changing student's career choices

According to research, teenagers will be more inclined to study IT-related subjects as a consequence of the recession and the rise of consumer technology.

The study by supplier Logicalis polled more than 1,000 13-17 year olds across the UK on topics such as personal technology habits and their aspirations for IT in education. The study sought to detect any changes over plans for their education and future careers.

Course and career choices are being reviewed due to the impact of the current economic climate, according to the study, with those polled all agreeing that IT, science and engineering provide the best future job prospects.

However, boys are the most likely to choose such subjects (37 per cent) in comparison with girls (only 17 per cent).

According to Chris Gabriel, director of solutions at Logicalis, a significant shift is set to occur in the education landscape, where students will be more inclined to take up IT-related subjects.

“By this time next year, I absolutely predict that we will see the country’s students shifting towards technology and away from softer subjects,” said Gabriel.

“For this new generation, it is all about money. They realise that remaining a nation of sports advisers and retailers is not the way to go."

Despite this prediction and the results of the study, according to figures from the Joint Council for Qualification, the Computing and ICT A-levels saw a drop in numbers of more than 20 per cent this year.

“The trend [of students take-up of ICT-related subjects] has been downward, but the good thing is that IT has become a lot more consumer-oriented than it was five years ago and that is likely to attract students,” said Gabriel.

He added that since students are already familiar with technology, teachers should give them an insight to the infrastructure details of an IT operation.

“If students don’t know how things work on the back-office, that does not give them the full picture and it does not make technology interesting,” he said.