Leading employers are backing an initiative to change
the negative attitudes of young people to the IT
profession.
The Revitalise IT scheme, launched today (18 September), aims to
bring together schools, universities and employers to improve
students' perceptions of IT as a career.
Vodafone,
Microsoft, the
BBC,
Cisco,
LogicaCMG,
Accenture and
John Lewis have signed up to the initiative, with more
employers expected to join as it develops.
"The IT sector makes a vital contribution to the UK's
prosperity. But every year fewer young people undertake an
IT-related degree, with a drop of about half since 2001. There is a
mismatch here that urgently needs to be addressed," said Karen
Price, chief executive of E-Skills UK, which is co-ordinating the
scheme.
The sector skills council hopes to engage with 40,000 students
over the two-year pilot programme. It is putting on 50 employer-led
workshops in schools across London and the South East, and it will
help universities to map their curricula to ensure graduates have
the skills employers want.
The scheme, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council, will
go national if successful.
Richard Pettinger, director of the information for business
programme at
University College London, said, "The employer involvement is a
major boost for us. We have been slow to respond to this problem.
It is no longer enough to teach computer science - you have to put
it in context."