Anonymous

London

Consultant

Government policy is against IT Techy's.
IR35 made it so difficult for me to continue as a contracting consultant, that I, a techy with 40 years IT experience, and 2 trainees at the time gave up that business.
Unless you are a 'Price Waterhouse' sized organisation, you cannot bill for trainees time.
So that means billing for work they do, as being presented by the company.
Yopuu own the company, so that's considered your income, and subject to PAYE, Employee, and Employer NI.

Then you have to pay the trainees out of your net, (40% of the gross), and then pay employer NI on top of that.
and those training coursed you need @ £5000 - £10,000 a pop, Out of your Net again.

And I setup as a contractor because the 'permenant' employment prospects for over 40's were poor, and not they are not just poor, but better described as grim.

And yes - I'd advise any youngster considering IT as a career to think very carefully of what they will do when their employability ends when they have their 40th birthday.

The 'qualifications needed are Business and personel related. and if they have them, why go into the limited area of IT, when there's a much better chance of long term employment as a HR 'downsizing' manager

Work while they cutback, and more work when they then have to find people to do the work of those that were 'let go'