Northern-based businesses to have pick of IT talent

Companies taking advantage of regional Development Agency grants to set up offices in Northern England and Scotland are set to benefit from the pick of the UKís IT talent.

According to a new report from CWjobs.co.uk a leading IT recruitment website, 88 per cent of IT workers in the South East say theyíre considering relocating within the next five years.

Less than half (46 per cent) of IT workers in the South East still believe the best IT jobs are based in London. Google and IBM top the wish list of employers who have a presence in the North ñ 69 per cent of those questioned said theyíd be interested in working for these companies.

The BBC is also seen as an attractive employer ñ 63 per cent of IT workers want to work for the broadcaster, which is relocating the majority of its operations to Manchester. A further 62 per cent have their sights set on the new Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh.

It seems the long-awaited brain drain is set to become reality. One-in four IT professionals believe that they could earn the same or more money outside of London due to the skills shortage in developing regions such as the North West.

Those who weathered the boom and bust of the dotcom era could be the first to make the move. It seems it is the more experienced and senior professionals in the South East who are most keen to jump, with 42 per cent polled having worked in the industry for more than 10 years.

Yet itís not just expansion and relocation that is prompting this change in attitudes. Almost half (42 per cent) of those questioned say new technology is now mainstream enough for technical employers to be comfortable with the idea of remote working.

Despite the desire to move on, it seems London is still seen as the best training ground for IT prowess. Almost two thirds (63 per cent) believe that it is essential to start a career here to develop the best skills.

In order to meet the demands of both businesses and IT professionals, CWJobs.co.uk has set up new operations in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Each new office provides local talent for the on-the-ground support for businesses, and combines local knowledge of the surrounding region with the national reach and expertise of the brand. CWJobs is the first IT recruitment website to do this.

Paul Kitchen, Sales Manager for CWJobs.co.uk comments: ìThe UKís business landscape is going through fundamental change. Barriers to stronger regional economies are being removed due to investment from private equity into more traditional business sectors such as manufacturing and engineering, coupled with the general drift of commercial operations towards the North.

ìIn recent months weíve seen an increase in job postings outside London for IT professionals, and these findings confirm our belief that the time is right for us as a business to offer on-the-ground support to employers and professionals up North and in Scotland.î