Tech sector needs 110,000 workers in 2011

gallery

Job openings in the technology sector are set to grow five times the national average over the next 10 years, according to a new report, but the question of who will fill them has overshadowed the findings.

The research from E-Skills UK claimed the demand for IT workers had grown during 2010, with 1.5 million employed in technology-based jobs – equating to one in 20 employed people in the UK.

Over a third of those workers were specifically in the IT or telecoms industry – the others had IT jobs in other sectors – and E-Skills UK predicted an extra 110,000 recruits were needed in that industry alone this year.

Yet, although an expected vacancy growth rate of 2.9 per cent each year – five times higher than the national average – could be good news for the current crop of workers, the research also raised concerns about where future workers would come from.

IT professionals under 30 dropped to just 19 per cent of the workforce – down from 33 per cent in 2001 – and the proportion of those over 50 has doubled to 17 per cent.

The gender bias towards men in IT was also still very apparent, with only 18 per cent of the workforce being comprised of females.

Despite the concerns, the report claimed technology was “the most powerful lever the UK can employ to drive growth and innovation across the whole economy.”

It said technology already contributed £81 billion every year but this could rise by a further £50 billion over the next five to seven years.

Email to a friend

Print this page