IT contractors could find themselves in demand by some of the largest companies in the UK.
Research conducted by Xantus, a consultancy firm, showed that nearly half of the UK’s chief information officers report a shortage of candidates with key IT skills. 43% of CIOs said it was difficult to source people with traditional IT skills such as infrastructure and strategy and an additional 41% said they would like to see their IT departments staffed with more employees with business and management skills. The research concluded that these IT shortages cost companies over 10% in departmental performance and productivity.
The chief executive of Xantus, Steve Watmough, said that IT is a critical element of the core infrastructure of most organisations and CIOs understand that IT decisions are strategic not only for their own departments but for the company as a whole.
Further good news for IT freelancers comes in the shape of the most recent IT Job board’s Skills in Demand report which showed that around 30% of advertised IT positions are for contractors. This latest research also shows that companies are engaging contractors for higher-level roles as well as support positions. In June, 38% of contractors were engaged in IT managerial positions. Project managers and software developers are also in high demand.
Meanwhile, a new quarterly survey from the CBI shows that in the three months to July, growth from the UK’s SMEs was stronger than it has been at any time in the last fifteen years. Export orders jumped and business was boosted as companies began rebuilding their stockpiles.
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Image: growth by iChaz
