Worries about the outsourcing of public sector jobs appear to be faltering, with 51% of professionals unconcerned about the issue in their sector.
New research by CWJobs.co.uk has found that 58% of professionals believe outsourcing is now a positive or neutral issue within the public sector IT industry, suggesting past concerns have been addressed. This is despite 62% of the same professionals also stating they have seen an increase in the outsourcing of IT in the public sector.
Outsourcing had previously been seen as an issue by professionals, who expressed concerns about possible impacts on their job prospects, and their ability to perform their job role. Quarterly data from CWJobs has indicated a decline in public sector vacancies of 56% between 2009 and 2010, despite growth across the rest of the board. This may have triggered the previous apprehension, however this opinion now appears to have shifted, with workforces now seemly reassured about the issues surrounding outsourcing.
Whilst it seems the majority of concerns from professionals have been addressed, one issue still remains, as over half of IT professionals feel outsourcing could discourage new young talent from seeking out public sector roles (54%). Despite the assurance those within the industry have received from viewing outsourcings minimal impact, those looking to join the industry have not had the same reassurance.
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Richard Nott, Website Director, CWJobs, stated: “With more professionals now perceiving a low impact from outsourcing, the industry now needs to ensure it is reassuring those looking to enter the sector, in order to avoid loosing out on potential new talent. The promotion of IT to younger generations is a wider issue, and the opinions found by CWJobs reinforce the importance of promoting the positive qualities of a career within the industry”.
One reason for the shift in opinion towards outsourcing could be due to the fact that over three quarters of public sector professionals now believe they hold transferable skills that would assist them in the private sector (87%), undoubtedly increasing their confidence in the industry.
