TheBritish Computer
Societyis urging A-level school-leavers who
are not going to university to consider IT careers, saying
part-time courses and work placements offer alternatives to
degrees.
The advice comes as figures from the
Joint Council for Qualifications show a further drop in the
number of young people studying technology-related A-levels.
The number of students taking A-level computing in 2007 was down
10% on 2006, dropping from 6,233 to 5,610. And the number taking
A-level ICT fell 6% from 14,208 to 13,360. Other science subjects
fared better, with maths climbing 7.3% from 55,982 to 60,093.
Industry bodies such as the BCS and E-Skills UK have warned that
future skills shortages caused by the falling numbers of technology
students could cause problems for the IT industry and the wider UK
economy.
Figures for 2007 from the Universities & Colleges Admissions
Service show a rise of 0.1% in the number of undergraduates
applying for computer science courses. Numbers for software
engineering are up 2.5%, but applications for IS courses are down
by 10.6%.
Mike Rodd, BCS director of learned society and external
relations, said, "Not studying IT at school does not stop people
from following a career in it. Our worry is that if students are
not taking it at A-level, it probably means that they are not going
to consider IT as a career, and that is a bigger concern.
"There is clearly a perception among students, parents and
teachers that IT does not offer a good career choice. We have a
variety of programmes that demonstrate to kids what IT can do for
them, including lectures showing the really exciting developments
that grab kids' attention.
"We are also increasingly working with teachers to see what we
can do to make the way IT is taught more attractive. If students
are not opting for it, there must be a problem somewhere."