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Bridging the It Skills Gap


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Computers and empty chairs

Credit: Courtesy of CIO UK Magazine

More than 550,000 new entrants over the next five years are required to fill information technology (IT) and telecoms professional job openings in Britain, according to a recent Technology Insights 2011 report. However, six months after graduating, 17 percent of computer science graduates are still unemployed, compared to an average for graduates overall of 10 percent, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Some industry executives argue that the lack of skilled entrants is the result of poor recruitment practices, especially in the contract market. The inability to match candidates to proper roles partly accounts for the high level of turnover in the industry. The problem of retention is enhanced by the fact that employees increasingly have different expectations of working life, says the BBC's Carolyn Pearson.

In addition, thousands of entry-level jobs have been outsourced to India, and some multinational corporations are bringing staff from India to Britain instead of hiring British graduates. In an effort to make sure new entrants have the right skills, e-skills UK, in conjunction with employers, has created the Information Technology Management for Business degree.

From CIO UK Magazine
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Abstracts Copyright © 2011 Information Inc. External Link, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 


 

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