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| IT is now an integral part of almost every aspect of | | | | that a graduate is working for, but it is usually based |
| modern life. It is an astonishing fact that around 21 | | | | in working with new technology. However, many |
| million people in the UK use IT at work each day, | | | | graduates and professionals take it upon themselves |
| while the IT industry itself is responsible for the | | | | to learn new IT skills to further their chances in the |
| design, development, manufacture, selling, installation | | | | industry. There are training courses in most aspects |
| and maintenance of computer-based information | | | | of IT, including desktop support technicians, design |
| systems in everything from laptops to | | | | and development courses, database server |
| power-stations. There are an estimated 1.1 million IT | | | | infrastructure design and professional developer |
| professionals in the UK, distributed between around | | | | qualifications. The industry seems to favour those |
| 120,000 IT companies and other industries, such as | | | | with extra qualifications and these can lead to higher |
| finance, the public sector, transport, storage, banking | | | | wages and longer IT careers. Courses are certified |
| and communications. In addition, the services supplied | | | | by most of the large operators, including Microsoft, |
| by these professionals have a significant effect on | | | | Cisco, CompTIA, CIW, Computeach, IC3 and Adobe. |
| the country’s economy, being worth an | | | | There is a current trend in the UK IT industry for |
| estimated £57,000 million per year. | | | | out-sourcing and off-shoring work; around 8% of IT |
| London and the South East employ around 40% of | | | | operations are out-sourced overseas, pointing to a |
| new graduates, where Northern Ireland, Scotland and | | | | significant IT skills gap in the UK. Some companies |
| Wales account for only around 11% of the | | | | have reported delays in the development of new |
| workforce. The average starting salary for a new | | | | products and services directly as a result of this. As |
| graduate is around £30,000 with more | | | | the link between a lack of qualified professionals and |
| experienced graduates and those aligning directly to | | | | product-delay becomes more evident, there has |
| large organizations being able to command more. The | | | | been a drive for more innovation and investment into |
| most common jobs in IT for new graduates include | | | | IT training. Business projects that do not use IT in |
| software engineering, IT consultancy, computer | | | | some shape or form are now in a significant minority, |
| programming, systems analysis, computer analysis | | | | with companies now willing to spend more on new IT |
| and computer operations management. As well as | | | | systems and professionals to maintain them. In the |
| requiring IT skills, these posts also require | | | | advent of this IT-driven age, even the government is |
| problem-solving and strong communication skills, with | | | | looking for fully-qualified recruits to develop complex |
| the ability to work as part of a team. | | | | IT infrastructures for new ventures, such as the |
| The IT industry invests more in training than any | | | | introduction of national ID cards and the smooth |
| other industry in the UK. The type of IT training | | | | operations behind the 2012 Olympics. |