A new type of IT degree designed to give employers a
stream of IT professionals with business, technology and
communication skills has won backing from 12 UK
universities.
The IT management for business course was designed
with input from businesses to provide employers with IT staff who
have the skills needed by modern IT departments.
The initiative also aims to help reverse a
sharp decline in the number of young people
studying computing at university by
encompassing the full range of skills needed for
a career in IT.
Figures from sector skills council E-Skills UK show that the
number of IT graduates has fallen by almost half, from 27,000 in
2001 to 14,700 in 2005. Of these, only three in 10 IT graduates go
on to pursue careers in the IT profession.
"Employers of IT professionals often recruit from non-IT
disciplines to obtain skills which are now essential for the IT
workforce. IT-related degrees which aim to prepare students for
modern careers in IT must adapt," said Karen Price, chief executive
at E-Skills UK.
The degree, which was
pioneered by some of the newer universities, such
as Greenwich and Brighton, has gained acceptance from more
traditional universities, including University College London,
Manchester and Exeter.
Twelve universities plan to offer the degrees in 2008, with
another five or six waiting in the wings to offer the degree when
it is rolled out more widely, said Price.
"We want to focus on these 12 universities to ensure the
programme is really successful. There are some key success factors:
to raise the number of students wanting to do IT degrees, and to
ensure we have backing from employers," she said.
E-Skills UK is working with employers to ensure that students on
the programme are offered work placements and work-based projects
during their courses. It also aims to ensure that all students on
the course are offered job interviews on completion of the
course.
The programme is backed by companies including BT, British
Airways, Fujitsu, Lehman Brothers and Royal Bank of Scotland.
"The IT management for business degree course is developing
graduates with the range of technology, business and communications
skills greatly valued by employers," said Andy Puttock, general
manager of products and strategy at BT Wholesale.
Business-focused degrees prove popular at
UCL
University College London has reported a surge in applications
from students since introducing its
information management for business degree
programme six months ago.
"Our numbers and level of interest in the course have gone
through the roof," said course director Richard Pettinger. "We are
also attracting a different kind of student than those opting for
traditional IT courses."
The university plans to enrol 50 students a year on the degree
course, which will start in September.
It is working with employers to arrange part-time IT work for
students during the summer holidays, provide project work, and
offer business placements to students completing final-year
dissertations on work-based projects.
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