IT sector could face skills shortage, expert warns

Britain's information technology sector could struggle to recruit the necessary talent over the next few months, barring a sudden increase in unemployment, an expert has warned.

Gerry McLaughlin of ITContractor.com explained that the number of adults out of work in the UK has remained surprisingly low in the wake of the global financial slump, which could continue to provide challenges for the industry.

"Unemployment is currently only 4.4 per cent after a severe downturn," he said. "Also, the number of people taking IT degrees has been falling to a fraction of the levels seen in the late nineties and early noughties."

However, Mr McLaughlin added that IT is likely to prove "lucrative and much safer" for its employees in the coming years and suggested those already working in the industry could have a crucial advantage.

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Official figures published this week revealed there was a 17 per cent fall in the number of pupils taking ICT GCSEs this year, with the short computing course also down by 27 per cent.