Businesses 'concerned' over IT skills gap
In news that may be of interest to businesses in Wales, research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has found that over half of all UK
employers (53 per cent) fear that they will not be able to fill the IT skills gap in the coming years.
Carried out in conjunction with exams body Edexcel, the Education and Skills Survey 2008 indicated
that employers were concerned about numeracy and literacy levels of employees, as well as IT skills.
The research indicated that 56 per cent of employers are worried about employees' ability to use computers for basic IT tasks, with 69 per cent admitting that they are increasing investment in
training to raise IT skills of existing staff.
John Cridland, deputy director-general of the CBI, said: "A worrying number of employers have little confidence that they will be able to plug their skills gaps. Too many firms also say poor basic skills
are hampering customer service and acting as a drag on their business's performance."
The research also indicated that 59 per cent of companies have already had trouble recruiting skilled candidates, due to the drop in the number of technology and science graduates. By 2014, it is feared
that the UK will need to fill an extra 730,000 technology, science and engineering jobs.
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