IT no longer boring, say young people

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It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the youth of today find technology quite boring – but a new study from the British Computer Society (BCS) has suggested the recession has changed some minds.

The study found that just one in five think IT is boring, while over half think the subject is exciting. Just over half (57 per cent) said IT leads to innovative people and business, while 39 per cent believe it is as important as law or medicine.

Financial considerations haven’t hurt, either. Over half of young people with IT qualifications are “upbeat” about their job prospects – despite the crashing economy – while those without IT skills are rather more pessimistic.

The poll of nearly a thousand 16 to 30 year olds showed well over half thought anyone without IT skills would struggle in a modern workplace, while nearly half think companies should help train their workers in IT business skills.

"Young people realise even basic IT skills are now essential to their long term employment prospects. They recognise that IT is a dynamic, global profession that offers a rewarding career equal to other traditional professions," said Jennifer Hewitt, from the BCS's Young Professionals Group, in a statement.

"While it's great that those with IT qualifications are optimistic, it's worrying for those without IT qualifications if they can't get the jobs or careers they want. BCS wants to see a skilled IT workforce and an IT-literate population, not a bigger digital divide," she said.

The study found the most popular IT-related fields were the web at 36 per cent, gaming at 33 per cent, and education at 25 per cent, followed by software development and network design.

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