The British Computer Society has highlighted an alarming
downturn in computer science graduate projections which could
imperil long-term success for the nation's expanding IT
economy.
The BCS believes that the UK is fast falling behind its global
competitors in generating the interest and enthusiasm needed to
persuade young people to study computer science or pursue a career
in IT. In fact, the problems may start with the way children are
introduced to IT and computing in schools.
BCS chief executive David Clarke said, "Our academic membership,
including nearly all the heads of computer science at UK
universities, is predicting that the growing demand for skilled IT
professionals will be frustrated by a 25% shortfall of computer
science graduates by 2009.
"The future success of the British IT economy, particularly in
the nanotechnology and biotechnology sectors, will rely on the
availability of computer science graduates. The UK is not
delivering these, creating the threat of a major skills gap opening
in our thriving IT industry within five years, which will impact
severely on our economy."
BCS president Nigel Shadbolt, a professor of artificial
intelligence at the University of Southampton, said, "Data
collected suggests that the year-on-year reductions affecting the
number of students studying computing within higher education will
continue until at least 2009.
"This will have an impact on the numbers of qualified graduates
entering the employment market over the coming years. It will also
have an impact on the UK economy which will be felt by companies
large and small.
"Large companies may be able to redirect their creative work
overseas. Small companies, traditionally hiring locally, may find
that they are unable to recruit the staff necessary to develop
their businesses at a cost they can afford.
"Similarly, public services will be hit more heavily than
private companies. Postgraduate numbers are now showing a similar
decline. Nothing can now halt the decline in the number of
computing graduates through to 2009."
Shadbolt believes that one way for the UK to address its
long-term IT skills needs is by getting students interested in IT
at an early age. "We need to introduce children at school to the
excitement of computing and information technology in the age of
the web. Action is required now to reverse the decline from 2010
onwards," he said.
More information:
www.bcs.org
Work together to avoid graduate shortage
Demos Working Progress report
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