íCould do betterí - businesses knock IT qualifications in the face of UK skills crisis

The UK is in the midst of a technology skills shortage but graduates are still up against it when it comes to securing a job, according to IT training and recruitment specialist, FDM. Its recently commissioned survey, carried out by Vanson Bourne, discovered that just 12 per cent of UK HR managers would employ an IT graduate given the choice and only a dispiriting 4 per cent prefer to source IT candidates through universities. An overwhelming majority of 72 per cent of HR managers said applicants with on-the-job experience are their first choice for IT vacancies.

Colleges also came under fire from the companies questioned, with a hefty 59 per cent of HR managers claiming that A-levels hold no importance.

And where traditional qualifications are failing graduates, industry accolades seem to hold little hope either. Professional technical awards in Java, .NET and MCSEs were dismissed by a disturbing 75 per cent of respondents in HR departments, despite the rigorous training, practical assessments and industry ties associated with these accolades.

The results support the Governmentís recent íRaising Expectationsí Green Paper, launched at the end of March, which seeks to elevate businesses to a critical role in training young people to help offset the UKís skills crisis. According to the report, the proposed system would introduce accredited employer training alongside more traditional courses, and link qualifications to specific sectors, such as IT.

Rod Flavell, CEO of FDM Group, says: British businesses need ever more skilled employees to remain globally competitive, but we need to get the basics right first. Forging stronger links between businesses and the education sector will ensure that young people are tooled with the right skills for the job. Following our lead at FDM, more corporates need to get actively involved in consulting universities and colleges to help them sculpt useful courses.

Antiquated syllabuses and ten year old case studies simply donít cut it - especially in a fast moving sector like IT. Itís time for the education sector to blow the dust off its courses and bring them up-to-speed with the needs of modern business.

Not wanting to leave IT graduates disheartened, the survey also provided pointers for breaking into workplace. Swotting up on interview technique is a must, with a staggering 75 per cent of respondents agreeing that IT candidates are stronger on their CVs than at interview.

The top route into employment is through a specialist IT recruitment company, like FDM, which provides graduates with the additional skills and experience they need for the workplace. The survey found this to be the most popular means of sourcing new IT talent, with a third of businesses stating they prefer to fill vacancies from the books of these specialists than finding candidates through online advertising (28 per cent) or generic recruitment companies (7 per cent).