Computing and ICT

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”.
(Thomas J. Watson, 1874-1956, founder of IBM)

Computers and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) are now an essential part of our everyday lives - at work, home and elsewhere.

ICT and Telecommunications is expected to be one of the two fastest growing industries in Scotland between 2004 and 2014. It employs 100,000, or 1 in 20, workers in Scotland, and has grown by 37% since the early 1990s.

An important aspect of the information and communication technology industry is the high rate of change. The actual power of computers grows every year and new applications are constantly being developed.

So, job opportunities are good and expected to continue to grow. Between now and 2014, the total number of ICT jobs in Scotland is expected to increase by 14,400 new jobs every year. Despite this, the number of students taking ICT first degrees dropped 42% between 2001-2006!

There will be a particular demand for staff in system integration, networking, web design, security and ICT architecture. There will also be more jobs in developing and implementing ICT systems and services, working on helpdesks and in ICT training.

Only about 21% of the ICT workforce in Scotland is female. Males outnumber females by nearly 4 to 1. This must change if the industry is to stay competitive. There is a definite demand for more women in the industry. So, girls and young women should find that joining their local Girls Computer Club will be a worthwhile experience.

There is a wide range of work in the ICT industry, such as:

• hardware and support engineering: maintaining computer hardware


• systems analysis and software engineering or programming: developing software programs


• putting in and maintaining networks which link equipment over local or wider areas


• creating databases to store large amounts of information.

• computer operators who key in information and check for faults


• computer aided design (CAD) technicians who work on graphics, sound and animated pictures


• multimedia specialists who put together programs for, among other things, computer games


• web developers who design for the internet.

There are lots of courses in computing subjects, at all levels. They range from 1 year National Certificates (NC) or National Qualifications (NQ), through Higher National Certificates (HNC) and Higher National Diplomas (HND) to 4 year degrees and postgraduate courses.

More than half of computer and ICT workers have degrees, but not necessarily in computing. Some have degrees in business, science, maths or arts subjects. With a degree in another subject, you can take a postgraduate conversion course to get a computing or ICT qualification.

Sources

UK ICT Industry Skills and Jobs Crisis - CPHC Information Group Report

Women in IT Scorecard (2009)
e-skills UK website (http://www.e-skills.com/)

Technology Counts: IT and Telecoms Insights (2008) - e-skills UK

e-skills is the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology.