Latest news : IT roles need skilled workers

Thousands of IT roles in Scotland are left vacant as students graduate without the skills to fill them, says employers bodies. 13/09/2012

According to e-skills UK - The Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology , the IT sector has been creating 7,000 jobs a year but in 2011, only 1,500 students graduated in computing.

ScotlandIS, the trade body for Scotland’s IT industry, hopes to highlight the shortfall which is deepening in the technology sector by gaining support from the Scottish Government, helping improve the number of graduates with IT qualifications.

‘The technology sector is growing four times faster than the Scottish average. Despite being a highly paid sector with excellent working conditions, we don’t have enough skilled staff to fill the vacancies,’ said Polly Purvis, executive director of ScotlandIS.  

Professor of computer science at the University of St Andrews , Ian Sommerville, said Scotland had the talent, imagination and educational system to be world leaders in computing and software.

For recent graduates considering their options in a tough job market, IT roles in Scotland could be worth considering.