Professionals Objective 1: New Recruits

Negative stereotyping of IT jobs is a major inhibitor to attracting the required new entrants to IT-related careers, as are misconceptions about job content and skills required. Poor impressions gained during school years deter many high achieving young people. When peoples' understanding of IT jobs improves, so does their likelihood of entering the industry ⁸ . It is essential to attract large numbers of people from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences, and help employers overcome both real and perceived difficulties in doing so. Women are particularly under-represented, holding only 22% of IT jobs; women entering IT at the same rate as men would address a major proportion of the recruitment shortages. Further sources of potential recruits include people returning from career breaks, and employees from other industries which are contracting and displacing highly capable people. With suitable work experience and training, many more people could transition to IT careers, creating a healthier environment for companies in both recruitment and retention of staff.

Increase in the number of high quality recruits into IT careers	Programmes: 1.1. Image: Implement a UK wide campaign to promote a positive, exciting and up to date image of IT-related careers, targeting specific groups across the population from school children to mature career changers. 1.2. Broadening recruitment: Demonstrate the business benefits of and help employers access greater numbers of candidates with a broader range of skills and experience. 1.3. Women: Deliver initiatives to increase the numbers of women entering IT professional careers. 1.4. Experience: Establish work experience programmes and run projects that include specialist training to help suitable people transition to or re-enter IT careers, targeting those in contracting industry sectors, people returning from career breaks, older workers and non-vocational graduates
An attractive industry recruiting enough of the best

"We operate in a global market, and we must attract more of the best into IT careers here in the UK for us to win a healthy share of the business. We have to co-operate across the industry to change the image and attract capable people from all walks of life." Peter Hutchinson MD, UK Operational Services ICL

"Having three different employers come to the University together was really good. It made me think they must be telling the truth about IT. I hadn't realised the jobs could be so people-oriented." Student participant in an e-skills NTO / employer project

⁸ e.g. as evidenced in the e-skills NTO 'Project Gemini', to attract greater numbers of non-IT graduates into IT careers