UK employers say IT workforce needs more training

By Steve Malone

Posted on 22 Aug 2003 at 15:17

The latest research from e-skills UK, says that 57 per cent of employers believe their IT staff require additional skills, a jump of 11 per cent over the same survey last year.

The survey also found that employers in London and the South East expected to lose up to 24,000 jobs over the next year. In contrast, many regions including Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North East, the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside and the east of England can all expect to boost their IT workforces by between 0.5 per cent and 4 per cent in the coming year.

Employers can also look forward to a steady stream of entrants into the industry in the coming years. Over 135,000 students took an IT-related GCSE in the academic year ending in 2001, up from just over 100,000 in 1999. Of those, more than 50 per cent gaining grades A-C.

In the same year, more than 27,000 students entered an A Level in Computer Studies or associated Scottish Higher, with over a 75 per cent pass rate. More than 80,000 candidates completed a course equivalent to NVQ proficiency levels in 2002.