Reply to: "UK Bosses Push for 250,000 IT Jobs" - TATA? WTF?

[NickFitz]

http://stackoverflow.com/tags

1. Choose your area(s) of expertise;
2. Read the questions;
3. Note the usernames on the most dimwitted ones.

You'll find a very diverse mix in that set of morons - it's not all Bob Showadiwadi from Mumbai, it's just as likely to be Randy Loverod from California. The real problem is that the vast majority of people working in IT are not only pretty useless, they also aren't interested in improving.

The people who post on there and accept a cruddy hack with "That works, kthxbye", yet completely ignore an answer that explains why their approach was wrong in the first place and how to do it correctly, vastly outnumber those who show any evidence of seeking understanding of their actual problem in order to achieve the best solution.

As long as such people are able to find employment, the majority of software will be garbage from start to finish - oops, I mean RUN to STOP.

On the brighter side: There are a good few people on there who are genuinely interested in developing their skills. It's not a coincidence that they tend to ask the most interesting questions

[expat]

In Australia it's a smaller market and they're much less fussy about ticking every box on the laundry list. As a Java developer over there I'd hear things like: "not used Oracle but you've used Sybase -- no problem."

But in the UK employers are very fussy even with permanent roles. It seems perverse to demand every skill under the sun (for a permie role) and yet provide no training or opportunities to learn new skills. One more reason why you're better off as a contractor in the UK!

It is perversely fussy. They look for boxes ticked rather than for ability. So they get people who have done all the exact technologies bfore, however badly, they don't get good people per se.

[swamp]

2. Most employers are unwilling to be more flexible when filling their job roles, requiring an exact match on skills and industry sector. This makes it extremely difficult for candidates to move out of areas that have had a dropoff in demand to areas where there's more demand than supply.

In Australia it's a smaller market and they're much less fussy about ticking every box on the laundry list. As a Java developer over there I'd hear things like: "not used Oracle but you've used Sybase -- no problem."

But in the UK employers are very fussy even with permanent roles. It seems perverse to demand every skill under the sun (for a permie role) and yet provide no training or opportunities to learn new skills. One more reason why you're better off as a contractor in the UK!

[Cyberman]

It's racist to employ British people at the expensive of poor immigrants. Most of these new jobs will thus go to immigrants.

[OwlHoot]

There are 2 main problems with IT.

1. Employers prefer to fill entry level positions with foreigners who have been trained in the skillset rather than employ UK IT graduates and have to train them. This is a false economy as the UK IT graduates have, on average, better communication skills and ability to acquire new skills.

2. Most employers are unwilling to be more flexible when filling their job roles, requiring an exact match on skills and industry sector. This makes it extremely difficult for candidates to move out of areas that have had a dropoff in demand to areas where there's more demand than supply.

The report acknowledges that the existing UK IT graduates are unable to find work (because of problem 1) so why would boosting their numbers help?

WHS

and public sector IT recruiters are as bad as anyone. if not worse, when it comes to skills and experience they demand.

When awarding IT contracts, the Government should include conditions requiring a certain level of graduate uptake, even if this slightly raises the costs. Longer term, it would work out a damn sight cheaper.

[expat]

Surprised no one else has spotted this
http://www.contractoruk.com/news/004456.html

Quote:
“The over-riding goal of the manifesto is to increase UK technology jobs by 250,000,” said the document’s signatories, who include BT Global Services, Carphone Warehouse, Virgin Media, Oracle, Tata Consultancy UK, Kingfisher IT and INSEAD.

Tata? BT Global Services? Surely them getting involved is akin to Hitler looking after a Jewish nursery...
...

They want to create 250,000 UK IT jobs. These are not necessarily jobs for UK IT workers.

[mace]

There are 2 main problems with IT.

1. Employers prefer to fill entry level positions with foreigners who have been trained in the skillset rather than employ UK IT graduates and have to train them. This is a false economy as the UK IT graduates have, on average, better communication skills and ability to acquire new skills.

2. Most employers are unwilling to be more flexible when filling their job roles, requiring an exact match on skills and industry sector. This makes it extremely difficult for candidates to move out of areas that have had a dropoff in demand to areas where there's more demand than supply.

The report acknowledges that the existing UK IT graduates are unable to find work (because of problem 1) so why would boosting their numbers help?

[orac]

UK Computing Graduates

http://www.cphc.ac.uk/docs/cphc-comp...tes-june08.pdf

[orac]

what they failed to say....

The 250,000 are to be created in Mumbai.

Lets face it IT is dead in this country, who in their right mind would do an IT degree these days?

[TimberWolf]

Thats because the think IT is dead and it will all be done offshore in 20 years time.

The government gives that impression : not sure why as IT is one of the best hopes for this country. I think its cos they are too stupid to understand what we do.

The latest university job stats showed that IT graduates were the least likely to be in a job a year after graduating.

[BrilloPad]

About 249,999 more ...............

Apparently doing an IT degree is not popular with today's students. Majority of students doing IT are foreign.

Thats because the think IT is dead and it will all be done offshore in 20 years time.

The government gives that impression : not sure why as IT is one of the best hopes for this country. I think its cos they are too stupid to understand what we do.

[SillyMilly]

25,000

250,000

About 249,999 more ...............

Apparently doing an IT degree is not popular with today's students. Majority of students doing IT are foreign.

[Sysman]

Surprised no one else has spotted this
http://www.contractoruk.com/news/004456.html

To ensure the quarter of a million new IT jobs emerge, at the earliest by 2017, political, business and academic captains were told to sign the Technology Manifesto.

Typo or procrastination? If not a typo, it'll probably be quietly forgotten by the time we get there.

They are also talking about 250,000 jobs over the next decade. How does 25,000 jobs a year compare with current numbers entering IT each year?

[BrilloPad]

But suddenly, after over a mere ten years and two general elections and a change of government and an Early Day Motion there was a shattering explosion and the PCG burst through the door with a damp squib and a champagne reception for their staff and took the member's fees and pissed them up against the wall crying "Bugger the Children."

I think thats quite unfair.

[RichardCranium]

But suddenly, after over a mere ten years and two general elections and a change of government and an Early Day Motion there was a shattering explosion and the PCG burst through the door with a damp squib and a champagne reception for their staff and took the member's fees and pissed them up against the wall crying "Bugger the Children."

fixed this for you