The IT Skills shortage: media articles

The media is now regularly reporting instances of a clear pattern of resurgence in IT positions and the “skills shortage” in the industry. Through 2005, IT sector job advertisements in Australia increased over 36%*. Following the restructuring affecting the sector in recent years, opportunities have now significantly improved over a sustained period bringing stability, steady growth and business confidence back to the sector. Prospects are now excellent for those seeking IT positions across all areas of industry. Read more about the situation in Australia and the US, in the following articles.

• Women in IT: profile of Catherine Jaktman (Computerworld magazine, 1 May)
• The must-have job ticket (Age Education feature, 15 May)

• Google hot for tech talent (from Australian IT, May16)

• IT online job vacancies up for June (from Australian IT, July 9)
• IT Workers in Demand (from Australian IT, April 26)
• IT’s Official: skills shortage cuts deep (from “Information Age” magazine, April)
• InformationWeek Salary Survey (from US. InformationWeek”, April 24)
• IT Employment reaches record high in U.S (from US. “InformationWeek”, April18)
• How to Save IT Jobs (from CIO magazine, April1)

So what does this mean for IT education?

We have experienced a lag between industry recovery and confidence returning to the IT education market, but are quietly confident that enrolments will significantly recover by 2007. At the VCE & Careers expo held at the Caulfield racecourse April 21 st – 23 rd, we fielded a much stronger interest from VCE students and teachers in IT courses, than experienced for several years.

Market research shows that resistance to enrolling in IT courses has been linked to the lack of confidence in employment opportunities beyond university** and we are now hearing first hand from prospective students, parents and careers teachers that they recognise that the industry is recovering.

* Olivier Job Index, 2006
** IT Skills Hub Evaluation Report, 2003