Don’t lose out. Choose wisely now and you can do anything you want...

With the number of courses increasing year on year, and a host of obscure subjects such as Equestrian Psychology unfurling from the pages of glossy brochures and web pages, deciding on what career path to follow is often an overwhelming task and process. There are always people offering titbits of information from parent teachers and sometimes you be inundated with other people’s views.

Not stuck in a dark room

Working in IT and technology related areas does not mean you are stuck in a room full of servers and databases and only have machines to talk to.

We have strived to dispel the myths surrounding a career in IT and Technology – demonstrating the facts behind the fiction and the real and measurable benefits of working life in such a dynamic and progressive industry. We hope this will help you to explore, understand and be inspired.

Big wide world

The UK IT industry is fast-growing, dynamic and action packed. With growth rates of up to 8 times the national average, more than 150,000 people are needed every year just to fill new positions. IT is vital in every industry from music to banking and sport to health.

Widening options

Firstly, choosing to study one of the many courses grounded in innovation will open up opportunities rather than restrict the options available to you. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) denotes subjects considered critically important by the government, employers and those involved in education and industry. These skills are vital for employees across a broad range of sector in the UK economy and the demand for highly numerate STEM-skilled individuals is expected to grow dramatically. This means there will be plenty of jobs in areas requiring these skills and so studying subjects such as Information Technology Management for Business will broaden your scope and appeal, not narrow it.

Employment prospects – some key findings

• Six out of ten (59%) employers are having difficulty recruiting STEM-skilled individuals – with some sectors suffering acute shortages. Experienced hires, graduates and technicians are in particularly short supply
• Large firms are thinking internationally when recruiting STEM-skilled employees – over a third (36%) are recruiting from India and a quarter (24%) from China
• Employers are committed to tackling young people’s perceptions of STEM careers head on – and are actively involved offering work experience, careers talks or teacher placements
• Eight out of ten (84%) firms are ‘going green’, with plans to minimise their carbon footprint

The above extracts are taken from ‘Taking stock’ – CBI education and skills survey 2008

Great salaries

A career in IT and Technology will invariably lead to a good salary – this is because there is great demand for skills in these areas and companies will have to pay for those people who have the necessary training and understanding. These days it is not just about technical knowledge but also business know-how, communication and management skills and many IT degrees and courses will help you with these.

The bigger picture

Not everyone who works in IT sits at a desk in a dark room and stares at a computer screen all day long. Think music, fashion, sport, banking. Once you have the skills the world really is your oyster and you’ll find there will be opportunities to work anywhere. You’ll have the chance to work and live in places you otherwise would never get to see. Or you can work right here doing what you have always wanted.

IT really means you can have IT all!