ICT Jobs Market 'Bucks the Trend'
The latest figures published by E-Skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology will be great news for students who have made ICT their career choice. The figures show that for the first time since 2008, the volume of advertised positions on offer exceeded the number of 'ready candidates' in the jobs market.
Other key findings were that the unemployment rate for ICT staff fell to 3.1% compared to 8.3% for the workforce as a whole. The report also noted that pay rates for Project Managers, Network Specialists, Software Engineers and Systems Programmers all show a long term upward trend with particularly notable increases for Contract Web Designers and Operation Analyst positions.
Karen Price, CEO of E-Skills UK, commented: "While this is good news for IT professionals seeking employment in the sector, the drop in the number of ready candidates with the required set of skills may start to become a problem for recruiters."
HCT offers a range of ICT courses, including Level 2 and Level 3 Diplomas as well as a Foundation Degree in ICT and numerous short courses. Course Tutor Bob Higgie commented, "It is really encouraging to see the recovery in the IT jobs market. Even during the recession our students have had a lot of success in joining the industry. The time spent in studying the level 3 and Foundation Degree courses has really paid off. This news means there are even more opportunities out there. And the good starting salaries means that the, admittedly very reasonable, Foundation Degree fees, have been a good investment. "
