The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Technology Sector group has published a new report indicating that the IT industry still requires new staff.
The demand for IT labour increased four per cent in the last quarter, the document stated, while the need for IT skills rose by ten per cent.
The ratio of supply and demand in IT jobs now stands at 1.5 applications per position.
Study online towards a MCSE or MCSA with Hall Training and allow our unique scheduled, structured courses could help you achieve the career you deserve.
Jeff Brooks, the REC Technology Chair said: “These results show that the demand within the sector continues to grow and return to good health.
“IT systems are clearly seen as tools that can help drive growth and help reduce cost across the enterprise and we expect to see this growth maintained.”
He also said that the new government could streamline operations and cut costs by investing more in IT training.
REC is the representative body for the UK’s private recruitment and staffing industry.
It has been revealed that the number of IT jobs advertised in the UK in the first quarter of 2010 rose by four per cent in comparison to the last quarter of 2009.
Computer Weekly announced that figures from CWJobs indicate that IT job vacancies in the financial services sector increased by 23 per cent during the period, a fact that should encourage individuals to seek out IT courses or IT training.
Richard Nott of CWJobs said: “It is encouraging to see job growth in the IT sector as the economy takes steps towards recovery.
“We hope these findings signal the start of re-investment in IT.”
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) recently announced that IT training, was essential in many areas of employment.
Salaries in the UK’s IT industry rose by two per cent between 2009 and 2010, new figures indicate.
Statistics released by recruitment firm CVScreen which surveyed almost 7,500 IT jobs posted online, showed that the average salary stood at £36,818 at the beginning of the year, CIO reports.
Working towards a MCSE certification would show a prospective employer, that not only do you have relevant skills, but also the persistence to study an online certification training program. Proving how serious you are about a new career in IT.
IT directors and programme managers were found to be amongst the highest earners, bringing in between £55,286 and £95,000.
Also, figures from the Ashdown Group Jobs Index show that almost three per cent more computing and technology jobs were advertised last month compared to April.
Ashdown Group director John Lynes said that despite government cuts, the private sector is still particularly interested in employees with “in-demand development skill sets”.
According to a recent report issued by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) Youth Employment Taskforce, IT training is the key to avoiding the creation of a “lost generation” of 16 to 24-year-olds, who could find themselves unable to secure employment.
Gaining qualifications and skills through IT training, such as a MCSE or MCSA from Microsoft, could make young people much more employable and therefore connected to the world of work. Studying an IT course can instill confidence and a sense of achievement, which will shine through to a prospective employer.
The report warned that “urgent action” is needed from government authorities, businesses and educationalists to make sure young people enter the modern workplace with some level of IT training,
The report suggested practical actions like revamping careers services, stimulating demand for new staff, raising awareness of the changing employment landscape and harnessing different routes into work such as internships and temporary assignments.
When it comes to the adoption of cloud-based enterprise solutions, security becomes a source of concern, according to Doug Miles, UK managing director of AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) Europe.
“Security is obviously an issue, interoperability is obviously an issue – how do you connect the cloud service to your in-house back-end services?” Mr Miles said.
However, the expert said that the safety concerns around cloud computing, a topic that could be taught in IT training, would be lessened to some degree if a specification for cloud services was introduced by the government.
“That might actually allow people to know that what they are doing is permissible,” Mr Miles said.
He went on to say that companies are not so keen on branded cloud services, often because they have no personal contact with the service provider.
Mr Miles was speaking at the London leg of the AIIM Roadshow 2010, an ECM event.
It has been reported that in May, the number of IT jobs vacancies increased in the UK.
Figures from the Ashdown Group Jobs Index confirmed that almost three per cent more computing and technology jobs were advertised in May compared to the previous month.
This figure means there are now more IT jobs available than any time since June 2009, the group states.
Demonstrating self motivation and the importance of continuous improvement by studying an online IT training program, such as a MCSE certification, greatly increases employment prospects. This provies to a potential employer that not only do you have relevant skills, but also the right personal characteristics to be a valuable member of staff.
Ashdown Group director John Lynes commented that IT recruitment has grown 12 per cent since the beginning of 2010.
Mr. Lynes said, “Government spending cuts and a public sector recruitment freeze will have an effect on the IT jobs market, but we foresee any surfeit of skills from the public sector being consumed by the private sector,” He also noted that “in-demand development skill sets” were particularly desirable to employers.
In news that may interest individuals looking to take IT courses, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reports that forty percent of employers who had taken on adult workers in the past year, have had to offer them some kind of remedial IT training, the Financial Times reports.
According to CBI Director of Education and Skills, Susan Anderson, there is a deficit in IT training among school leavers and this is partially caused by poor literacy.
Highlighting the significance of IT courses, Ms Anderson focused on the fact that the low-skills jobs market is decreasing.
“If you haven’t got those key basic skills, you’re really going to find it difficult to maintain your position in the labour market,” she said.
Whether you choose to study for MCSA or MCSE, or aim to become qualified as a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) or Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) depends upon your existing qualifications and experience.
If you are aiming to enter IT or are relatively new to the profession, studying and qualifying as a MCSE or MCSA is probably still your best bet. Both will give you knowledge and experience of the technologies that account for the vast majority of existing networks. In almost all cases they underpin the most current Microsoft technologies and will be best recognised by those that will be your new peers, superiors and employers.
For existing IT professionals, with a least a few years experience, but no vendor specific qualifications, it might be advantageous to consider a MCSE or MCSA. This would allow validation of their experience, especially to a new employer.
For existing IT professionals, who are a fully or part qualified MCSA or MCSE in an earlier version, such as Win2000, it would be best for you to move straight on to MCTS or MCITP qualifications. Having the underlying knowledge needed to cope with most current situations, the only reason for further study would be to stand out among your peers and be ready for planned or proposed upgrades.
It’s a question I’m sometimes asked by my students. The simple answer – each exam, A+ Essentials and A+ Practical Application, tests material from both courses, A+ ONE and A+ TWO. But why do we teach the course this way? Wouldn’t it be simpler to have just one course for each exam? Well, perhaps; but there’s the issue of the way that CompTIA have designed the syllabus for the exams. The topics are organized into a number of domains, Hardware, Networking, Security etc, and some of these are included in both exams. This would make for a lot of repetition if they were each covered in both courses – and could be tedious for students and instructors alike. We think it’s better to cover each topic fully rather than in bits. That way, the material is easier to follow and we keep the size of the manuals down, which is good news for trees.
So, why have two courses? Well, there’s a lot of ground to cover in A+ and most students find the break useful. The important point to remember is that you need to complete both courses before taking either exam. I’d recommend taking the A+ Essentials exam first, as it’s easier. Don’t forget to read through the information on the course CD, which contains a lot of useful stuff on how to prepare for the exams.
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