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Story URL: http://management.silicon.com/careers/0,39024671,39130985,00.htm

IT skills gap doesn't keep firms awake at night
Less than 10 per cent of companies say it exists...

By Sylvia Carr

Published: Monday 06 June 2005

The IT skills gap is no big shakes, though most firms could plan their recruitment strategies better, according to a recent survey from e-skills UK.

Just nine per cent of the 700 employers polled in e-skills UK's ICT Insights survey said there is a skills gap for IT pros and their skills don't meet business needs.

Users show a greater need for improved IT skills, with 13 per cent of employers saying there's a user skills gap. The problem appears to be getting better, though, as this figure has fallen for three consecutive quarters.

This compares with silicon.com's 2005 Skills Survey, in which just over half of the 1,386 readers polled agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: 'There is a skills shortage.'

The e-skills research shows that firms which do have a problem filling positions could well plan better. Half of the employers surveyed said they had a recruitment plan for ICT staffing.

The larger the firm, the more planning they did, though. Nearly 70 per cent of firms with more than 200 employees had recruitment plans compared to less than 43 per cent of the smallest firms (those with less than 10 employees).

A surprising 58 per cent of ICT recruitment is not the responsibility of the IT or HR departments, the survey reveals. Yet this is largely due to the fact small firms generally don't possess a departmental structure. Indeed, for firms of more than 200 employees, 90 per cent of ICT recruitment is carried out by IT, HR or both.