http://www.e-skills.com/news-and-events/may-2012/ict-recruitment-in-northern-ireland-set-to-rise/?utm_source=eskillsNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eskillsMayNewsletter

ICT recruitment in Northern Ireland set to rise – according to latest e-skills UK ICT Snapshot

Posted on: 22/05/12

e-skills UK has published the fourth Northern Ireland ICT Snapshot, the definitive source of information about changes in demand for ICT labour and skills in Northern Ireland.

The latest Snapshot results show that recruitment of ICT professionals is expected to pick up during 2012. However, increasing numbers of companies are predicting recruitment problems, which could hamper the growth of the technology sector in Northern Ireland.

The key findings include:

* Current vacancies: 12% of all companies and 14% of ICT companies in Northern Ireland have vacancies for one or more ICT professionals (an increase on the ‘snapshot’ of current recruitment in previous surveys).

• Of those companies with vacancies just under half (46%) are looking for Software Developers and Software Development roles also comprise the highest number of vacancies.

* Future recruitment outlook is encouraging with a growing number of companies expecting to recruit ICT professionals over the next 6 months.

• Overall, one in five companies expects to recruit ICT professionals over the next six months, rising to nearly a third (29%) of ICT companies. Two-thirds of recruiting businesses are looking to recruit into software development/engineering roles.
• However, an increasing proportion of companies predict recruitment problems. While a fifth (20%) of all companies think it will be difficult/very difficult to recruit, ICT (28%) and small companies (25%) are more likely to be affected.

* Business optimism is on balance positive, although down on previous years (driven largely by increasing concern in ICT companies). Key concerns include the state of the global economy, National/Government debt and the availability of business credit. Despite these issues, over half of all companies expect productivity, turnover and sales to increase over the course of 2012.

* Skills gaps in the workforce appear to have increased with over a quarter of businesses saying there are gaps between the skills of their ICT employees and the skills needed by the business.

Mark Feeney, e-skills UK Manager for Northern Ireland, said: “The latest Snapshot shows that employers are feeling positive about the future, while acknowledging the challenges facing the ICT sector in Northern Ireland.

“The recruitment and business outlook for the sector demonstrates the importance of the work e-skills UK and the ICT sector in Northern Ireland undertake in attracting people to the highly skilled and rewarding ICT job opportunities available in Northern Ireland.

“e-skills UK remains committed to working with the sector to encourage investment in training and development. This will ensure Northern Ireland develops and maintains the highly skilled technical workforce required for this important and growing sector.”

The ICT Snapshot, funded by Invest NI / DEL, forms part of the Bring IT On programme of work to better understand the requirements for ICT skills in Northern Ireland. It provides employers and policy makers with an authoritative summary of the latest ICT labour market intelligence, drawing on the results from a survey of 300 employers of ICT professionals in Northern Ireland. The results from the Snapshot will be used to inform the development of education and training provision in Northern Ireland and careers advice and guidance.

The NI ICT Snapshot can be downloaded at www.e-skills.com/ni/snapshot

More about the NI ICT Snapshot

The NI ICT Snapshot presents the results of a survey of 300 employers of ICT professionals in Northern Ireland and was conducted in January 2012.

The production of the NI ICT Snapshot was commissioned as part of the Bring IT On campaign. To find out more visit www.e-skills.com/ni and www.bringitonni.info

Summary of key findings

• Although business optimism is on balance positive, it is down on previous years driven largely by increasing concern in ICT companies. The state of the global economy, National/Government debt and the availability of business credit are the overriding factors for concern.
• Despite these issues, over half of all companies expected productivity, turnover and sales to increase over the course of 2012 with 60% of ICT companies also predicting an increase in the development of new products and services.
• In terms of current vacancies in Northern Ireland, 12% of all companies and 14% of ICT companies have vacancies for one or more ICT professionals, an increase on the ‘snapshot’ of current recruitment in previous surveys.
• Of those companies with current vacancies just under half (46%) are looking for Software Developers, and Software Development roles comprise the highest number of vacancies.
• The recruitment outlook for 2012 is positive with an increasing number of companies – one in five of all companies and nearly a third (29%) of ICT companies – expecting to recruit ICT professionals over the next six months.
• However, an increasing proportion of companies predict recruitment problems. Whilst a fifth (20%) of all companies think it will be difficult/very difficult to recruit, ICT (28%) and small companies (25%) are more likely to be affected.
• Recruitment is predominantly in the area of software development/engineering roles with technical skills most commonly sought in new recruits including: SQL, .NET, Java, C#, C++, CAD, SQL Server, Unix, ASP and HTML.
• Skills gaps in the workforce appear to have increased with over a quarter of businesses saying there are gaps between the skills of their ICT employees and the skills needed by the business. Technical skills in particular are reported as needing improvement in response to new technologies followed by sector knowledge/experience and business skills.

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Paul Champion
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