UK suffering from IT skills shortage shows survey - Industry Trend or Event

Telecomworldwire, March 3, 2000

TELECOMWORLDWIRE-3 March 2000-UK suffering from IT skills shortage shows survey (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com

A survey conducted by Silicon.com has found that there exists in the UK a massive IT skills shortage as entrepreneurs and other companies attempt to break into the Internet market.

The survey revealed that people with Internet-relevant skills are demanding increasingly higher wages and that contractors are earning a lot more than people working full-time performing a similar role.

More specifically, the study revealed that 42% of contractors earn more than GBP55,000 per annum, while only 10% of full-time workers earn this amount. Furthermore, 23% of contractors earn more then three times the average wage.

Nearly 50% of respondents indicated that they have IT-related positions in their company that they cannot fill.

A spokesperson for Silicon.com said in relation to the results that 'the still fledgling UK e-commerce industry could suffer a serious blow if the government and companies ignore the need for IT skills. Internet start-ups who fail to realise the costs involved of recruiting skilled staff may not survive.'

Silicon.com has also predicted that market forces will mean that the salaries being demanded by Internet skilled employees will 'remain buoyant for some time yet.'

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