Public sector IT will weather storm, says Parity chief

Parityís chief executive is predicting a promising 2008 for public sector IT, despite doom and gloom in the marketplace. This follows news that Parityís Resources division has ranked as the top supplier of IT specialist contractors to the public sector through OGCbuying.solutionsí Catalist framework, every month in 2008 so far. Parity is seeing no let up in the demand for key IT skills across the full range of central and local government departments, and has already exceeded 16 million in turnover from the Catalist buying framework alone to end of May.

Despite widespread nervousness in the recruitment market caused by talk of an economic slow down, Parity Resources will earn nearly 70 million in revenue from the public sector in 2008 to date on current spend levels. Parity delivers to over 90 clients in the public sector, winning additional client frameworks such as Land Registry and MoD among its 28 new clients this year. Its position in the Catalist framework gives Parity a market share of over 25 per cent across a supply base of thirteen approved suppliers.

ìWeíre not seeing anything like the doom and gloom predicted for the recruitment market, as demand for key IT skills remains high,î commented Alwyn Welch, CEO at Parity. ìSignificant parts of our industry are far better positioned to survive any downturn than in the last recession. Indeed, as investment in IT in the public sector is essential to deliver overall cost savings together with improved service, it's unlikely that hiring in skills will face material cutbacks.î

Welch continued: ìThe public sector is becoming an increasingly attractive option for IT professionals. Pay has gone up to compete with the private sector for the best talent, and with the perception that public sector work is a safer bet there is likely to be continued skills migration from private sector.î

ìThe final piece of the jigsaw is the changing mix of skills. Developments in the technology used to create and maintain IT systems, combined with the move of certain types of IT delivery offshore, is creating a real shortage of specialist key skills ñ including the majority of skills we provide to the public sector through Catalist. We cannot see that shortage reducing,î concluded Welch.