Issue 110 - 23rd November - 11th January (2009)
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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 it’s clear the country’s technology leaders do indeed have every right to be concerned.
From this year’s Scottish Technology Industry Survey, the extent of the problems caused by the reduction in Scotland’s technology graduates is clear. With ‘access to good entry level graduates’ being listed as a major constraint to growth amongst 70% of those respondents who are aiming to recruit graduates, three fifths reported this as ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’.
Attracting new talent to Scotland’s IT sector therefore needs investment at all levels.
It’s 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 Scotland’s universities.
With the obvious effect this decreasing number will have on Scotland’s economy in the longer term, it’s 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.
• Take the enthusiasm for IT back into the classrooms and help rid it of its ‘geeky’ stigma.
• Further highlight the benefits and opportunities for career development.
• Provide real life success stories.
Wendy McDougall had the following to say on the quality of today’s graduates, “With 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 won’t be enough.
She continued, “The number of those graduates seen to be ‘job hopping’ 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.”
Andrew Mackay Head of Technology at 9-20 followed on,
“I 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 Scotland’s small companies requires candidates to be able to deal with people as well as the ‘1s and 0s’. Ironically, in my experience, I’ve found that those who are the strongest academically to be the most guilty.”
“In terms of the job hunting process though, I don’t think it’s 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 don’t believe we would have to worry about this dwindling number of workers in the industry in the first place.”
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