The IT and Telecoms workforce is 1.4 million which is divided across:

• IT industry – comprises  554,000 people in IT companies
• IT professionals in other sectors – comprises 550,000 people
• Telecoms industry – comprises 280,000

The number employed in the sector and those employed in IT occupations are predicted to grow over the next ten years by between 1.5% and 2.2% per year.  This growth is driven by IT services such as consulting and outsourcing (the transfer of IT functions to an external service provider).

The number of IT professional working in other sectors is also predicted to grow. 43% of establishments in Britain employ IT professionals.

The Telecoms industry is one of the fastest changing in the UK as new technologies are being explored and developed.  There are 8,500 telecoms manufacturing and services establishments in Great Britain employing 278,000 people, including 35,000 telecoms professionals.  In addition, there are 21,000 Telecoms Engineers and Line repairers/Cable Jointers working outside the IT and Telecoms industry.

Future skills shortages are expected to be in systems integration, networking and business analysis.  These will be driven by the growth in the electronic communications network, mobile computing and the speed of work processes.

The share of the UK IT workforce in the East Midlands, London and the South East is set to grow to 2014. In Scotland, the North West and the North East the regional share of the UK IT workforce is expected to decrease to 2014.

The composition of IT occupations has changed over the last seven years and further changes are forecast.  The most common IT professional job role in the UK is ‘software professional’ which is set to increase in importance by 2014, together with IT strategy and planning.

The actual weekly earnings for ICT professionals is £641 per week.  ICT managers and strategy/planning professionals report gross earnings of more than double the national average of £388.

Only 17% of IT and Telecoms professionals are female, 11% have some disability, and they are predominately white.  The average age of IT and Telecoms professionals working in the UK is around 37 years old.

On average the IT industry spends £668 on training per employee per annum.  61% of employers organise their own training which is primarily in new technologies.