Long-running criticisms of IT graduates' perceived lack of
readiness for work have been countered by a new study which
saidemployers need to look at their own attitudes and how they
provide their training.
The study by the Conference of Professors and Heads of Computing
(CPHC), which looked at several government and industry reports on
IT skills, pointed to a possible conflict between employers'
demands and the role of higher education.
"Employers may make demands which are too specific for higher
education institutions, which are attempting to provide education
that matches the broad needs of students and of the whole economy,"
said the CPHC, which has close links with the BCS.
"The demands of students and of the industrial customers of higher
education may conflict.
"University courses can be used as a training ground for generic
skills, but students may be unwilling to develop these as part of
their computing degrees."
The CPHC said employers may be "unrealistic" about the range of
skills or work experience they expect new graduates to have, and
added that employers are "frequently slow" to provide work
placements or other work experience opportunities for
students.
Employer prejudices about universities can also colour views, the
CPHC said.
"Employers that favour graduates from prestigious universities may
miss out on some of the graduates with the best work experience and
training from collaboration with industry," it said.
"Unfounded prejudice against universities, graduates and education
may exist in some areas of business and industry, particularly in
smaller organisations."
The organisation suggested that, when pressed by researchers,
employers did not really know what they wanted. "While ready to
give a general answer to a question about their satisfaction with
graduate recruits, employers often find it difficult to articulate
their precise demands," it said.
The CPHC also warned of possible shortcomings in research: sample
sizes should be taken in consideration; questions can be very
open-ended or leading; and the definition of a "satisfactory"
graduate for immediate employment may be unclear or disputed.
Whatever the arguments on either side, the CPHC gave employers food
for thought with one simple statement, "Employers have a
responsibility to provide training."