Skills shortage fears boosting hiring prospects

Skills shortage fears are leading to an upsurge in recruitment, especially in the ICT and computing sector.


According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s JobsOutlook, two-thirds of employers now planning to hire more permanent staff, with many citing skills shortages as their main motivator for taking on new workers.


Shortages of key staff within both temporary and permanent positions will be most widespread within the IT sector, followed by the telecoms and technical industries.


Commenting on the latest statistics, Roger Tweedy, the REC’s director of research said: “Despite the ongoing undercurrent of uncertainty among employers, there are some positive signs with the majority of employers now planning to slightly increase their permanent workforce."


"The slight upturn in employer confidence does not translate so clearly in the longer term where caution still appears to be the watchword. Employers will continue to seek tangible signs of economic growth before committing to significant long-term hiring plans," he added.


“However, it is important to note that the overall picture is far more robust than at many periods over the last year."


With a number of positions likely to become available within the IT sector over the coming year, now is the perfect time for people to equip themselves with the skills needed to ensure that they would be indispensable to a company.


However, which skills is it that are most in demand among employers?