The demand for IT contractors in the final quarter of 2003
was up 25% year-on-year, providing confirmation that the IT jobs
market is recovering from its biggest slump in a
decade.
Demand for permanent IT staff has risen by 4.6% and demand for some
posts, such as systems developers, was up by 34% between the third
and final quarters last year, the latest SSL/Computer Weekly
Quarterly Survey of Appointments Data and Trends has
revealed.
However, the rapid growth of offshore outsourcing since 2000 has
meant that recovery is likely to be slower than in the past with
fewer skills shortages and employers less willing to train staff
said industry observers. IT professionals may need to invest their
own money to upgrade their skills to meet the latest demands.
Philip Virgo, strategic adviser to the Institute for the Management
of Information Systems, said, "If employers are going to invest,
they are going to invest in India because it is cheaper and they
can get tax breaks. This means that individuals are going to have
to train themselves if they want to compete with people in the Far
East."
Anthony Miller, principal analyst at Ovum Holway, said the
combination of a slow recovery and offshore outsourcing would be a
"double whammy" for IT professionals seeking to upgrade their
skills and for training companies offering courses.
"We are not predicting the skills shortage we saw at the end of the
1990s. We think demand for new projects will be modest, although
there will be pockets of skills that will be in demand," Miller
said.