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Blighty's mighty tech skills shortage drives best job growth in years

Doesn't anyone know anything about SQL? Or Java? Or Linux? Or programming? Or...

The UK is crying out for engineers and IT staff, according to a KPMG and REC report, which reckons demand for techies is at its highest in 16 years.

Most vacancies were spotted in the engineering industry in August, while the medical industry came in just ahead of the IT sector in the nine categories of permanent staff assessed by the beancounters. That meant that the tech industry had dropped a peg to third place, despite its steepest growth since 1998.

It’s the usual story in the STEM jobs, the researchers say: there just aren't enough skills to go round. There are key permanent staff skills shortages in CNC, quantity surveyors and regular engineers and a dearth of techies with skills in business intelligence, Java, .Net, SQL and PHP, as well as regular programmers and project managers. For temp staff, it’s much the same, with shortages also seen in Linux and developer positions.

“The desperation to fill recruitment holes is leading to continued wage growth, which is creating a market that is both unsustainable and unrealistic,” said Heath Jackson, partner in the CIO Advisory practice at KPMG.

“It’s a conundrum British business will have to solve quickly because if the job market stagnates the wider impact on performance will end up harming productivity.”

Overall, Blighty’s job market was still growing, but vacancies have eased in the last few weeks. Bernard Brown, partner and head of business services at KPMG, suggested that while some of that is down to the skills shortages, it could also be that folks’ faith in the great economic recovery of the nation may be starting to waver.

“It may be down to holiday season, yet with these figures following the latest manufacturing output data, which also revealed slower growth, it wouldn’t be surprising if the confidence expressed earlier in the year is reaching a peak,” he warned. ®

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