Skills shortage threatens UK software development

The report, launched last week at a London conference, dubbed Developing the Future Seminar, highlights a growing skills gap in the UK, which is especially problematic in computer science and its related industries. It calls for all involved in the industry to work together to plug this gap by: encouraging more students to take computer science as a degree subject; attracting more people to re-skill as software developers; and persuading companies to train more new recruits into software development. It also makes the point that those involved at the start of the software industry, some three decades ago, are now moving toward retirement and there are simply not enough graduates waiting to take their place. The number of UK students studying computer science has halved in the last five years, says the report. And it states that even if the numbers of students recovered to previous levels, there would still not be enough to meet the demand for software developers. Microsoft also believes that the UK software industry lacks a unified voice and that only by acting now can UK plc ensure that the basic skills in software development currently being lost to off-shoring are replaced by more high-end, value-adding development skills that will remain in the UK.