What's wrong with IT graduates in the UK?

14 August 2008

2 minute read

What's wrong with IT graduates in the UK?

The UK's IT graduates seem to be stuck in an odd situation - there's not enough of them to meet demand, yet a large numbers of them are failing to find a job, particularly in the financial space.

According to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, nearly 10% of computer science graduates fail to find work six months after graduating - the highest proportion of any industry.

And there's a dearth of them knocking on the doors of investment banks. Rob Steck, who recruits for IT roles at Citi says graduates are increasingly studying engineering rather than computer science and that although Citi would be happy to hire engineers for tech roles, their first port of call often isn't technology in an investment bank.

Part of the problem, according to a recent study by IBM, is that though the computer science degrees might equip graduates with technical skills, they fail to address business needs.

A survey by tech website Silicon.com suggested that the UK's IT graduates just don't make the grade, with only a quarter of respondents agreeing that computer science grads are 'high calibre'.

George Richford, manager of the IT team at recruiters Jonathan Wren tells us: "Of the recent graduate IT roles within banking we had, the large majority of suitable candidates we put forward were from overseas. Very few UK graduates had the relevant skills."

Steve Furber, chair of the UK Computing Research Committee, believes there is still an appetite for UK computer science graduates: "No competent computer science graduate struggles to find work."

Computer maker HP has just launched a degree with Thames Valley University, which aims to teach "commercial awareness" as well as hard programming skills.

AUTHORPaul Clarke

An
Andy
10 October 2008
Only a self-absorbed techie turned headhunter would suggest that students should graduate with Lisp, Haskell, SQL, Prolog, Python, Perl or even REXX and Algol. You take the Financial computing MSc at UCL as your chosen bête noire, and in doing so fail to understand what banks really want from their technologists. You can teach a monkey to code in one/two/fifty years if you need to, but what modern technologists need are the communication skills and adaptability to deal with constantly changing business requirements and problems. Looking at the UCL course, this is what they seem to be aiming at.
Maybe having such language specific hang-ups is what kept your career stuck for so long at King&Shaxon that you left the game!
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Mi
Mike - IT
26 September 2008
Q. Why would people do IT?
it pays better than any other support function.
If you don't believe me, check how much the contractors around you are getting paid.
It's also the part of the bank that is generally going to be most favourable to flexible working. - I know people who work 4 day weeks, or 2 or more days a week from home. I even know of one that works remotely from Thailand.
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te
tech-tard
24 September 2008
why would one want to do IT?
it is one of the lowest position possible!
Tech is grouped with operations, which is consider back office.
plus, it's so easy to get into comsci, all u need is minimum A levels, INCOMPETENT ppl task compsci.
why do i keep hearing ppl say that we lack quality programmers!?
do we ever hear ppl claim we lack bankers?
we lack quality programmers coz they get paid *minimum* wages, and get no respect! the brightest do finance / doctor / law
u guys still don't get it?
how easy is it to enter IT compared to the professions i mentioned above?
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bi
billy
17 September 2008
Dominic, what planet do you live on? comparing UCL with Queen Mary is like comparing Arsenal and Sunderland in Football. There is a huge gap in quality in every way.. in arts, in computing- in all subjects. As a trader, I know for a fact that the dominant roles in the industry are filled by only the people from top uni's. In terms of the financial computing course at UCL, that is a winner. Its only been around for 2 or 3 years and its taken off hugely. Top tier banks are so keen on it.
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Do
Dominic Connor, Headhunter
8 September 2008
Yes, Bob, I have vested interests, hold that thought.
As it happens I *am* a CS grad, so am more judgemental on weak ones than I would be on (say) Biologists.
The average quality of quant C++ is, as you say often really awful, but I'm an odd headhunter, and spend about a day per week on the CQF teaching them to do it better (Ok, less badly).
Also thing about "my agenda". Unlike the other HHs here, I use my actual name, so no one is unclear where I'm coming from.
If I say "X is valuable" that is because I can sell you more easily if you have it. I assert that this is useful to people here, because my agenda and yours conicide. . Java roles at the top end are pretty rare.
As for UCL vs QMC, that's a complex question. For my very specific purposes, QMC's extensive use of C++ makes it more suitable for the higher paying roles I recruit for. However artsgrads have destabilised its overall level, losing a chemistry department and diverting resources to hobby subjects, so overall it is behind UCL. It's branding is a disaster area, and I have had occasion ot raise a formal complaint about one part of QMW with part of the government that funds it.
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