Britain needs 100,000 more IT professionals - archive, 1988

12 March 1988: Employers are looking for practical project experience and the ability to communicate and to understand business problems

Britain needs immediately nearly 20,000 more people with professional skills in information technology, a 12 per cent increase on the current strength. And that is in general industry, commerce, and government alone - excluding the needs of the academic world and the IT industry itself.

The continuing rise in demand means that at least 82,000 more staff, and perhaps 101,000, will be needed over the next five years.