ìIT graduate jobs; Do we have the skills to meet the demand?î

With another reported drop in IT computing graduates this year; the issue of where the ICT employees of the future will come from is one that is continuing to rear its ugly head with Scotlandís technology leaders.

With UCAS seeing a 50% reduction in computing degree course applicants between 2001 and 2006 and the latest e-skills report showing a further drop for 2007 itís clear the countryís technology leaders do indeed have every right to be concerned.

From this yearís Scottish Technology Industry Survey, the extent of the problems caused by the reduction in Scotlandís technology graduates is clear. With ëaccess to good entry level graduatesí being listed as a major constraint to growth amongst 70% of those respondents who are aiming to recruit graduates, three fifths reported this as ëdifficultí or ëvery difficultí.

Attracting new talent to Scotlandís IT sector therefore needs investment at all levels.

Itís been identified that if the problem is left unattended, IT graduate figures will continue to diminish even as sources are reporting an increase in the number of students enrolling in Scotlandís universities.

With the obvious effect this decreasing number will have on Scotlandís economy in the longer term, itís vital that the advantages of a lucrative life in the IT industry are made clear for all to see to attract that top talent out there. Out with the obvious advantages regarding salary, there are a few suggestions which may help to increase the IT role call.

ï Take the enthusiasm for IT back into the classrooms and help rid it of its ëgeekyí stigma.

ï Further highlight the benefits and opportunities for career development.
ï Provide real life success stories.

Wendy McDougall had the following to say on the quality of todayís graduates, ìWith the whole application process continually being made easier and easier graduates appear to be simply applying for a job and moving onto the next one without giving it much thought. They need to remember that they have to impress in a business and personality sense, and that simply having the desired technical skills for a role just wonít be enough.

She continued, ìThe number of those graduates seen to be ëjob hoppingí is also on the rise which is a worrying statistic since this is an area clients are continuing to scrutinize more and more. In short to be honest the desire for the whole application process seems to
have just disappeared.î

Andrew Mackay Head of Technology at 9-20 followed on,
ìI completely agree with Wendy in that graduates require the social skills as well as the technical aspect of the job today more than ever. A greater involvement in the day-to-day operations of many of Scotlandís small companies requires candidates to be able to deal with people as well as the ë1s and 0sí. Ironically, in my experience, Iíve found that those who are the strongest academically to be the most guilty.î

ìIn terms of the job hunting process though, I donít think itís just IT graduates that are lacking the enthusiasm. I see the problem as being evident across the board. Today anyone and everyone is expected to attend university when an on-the-job apprenticeship opportunity may actually prove more effective. If there were more opportunities like this then I donít believe we would have to worry about this dwindling number of workers in the industry in the first place.î