Lack of IT skills 'can be a barrier'

16:35 30th May 2008

A lack of IT training can be a barrier to employment for people looking for work in a wide variety of sectors in the UK, it has been claimed.

Both Jon Gamble, director for adults and lifelong learning at the Learning and Skills Council, and Abigail Stevens, communications manager for UK Online Centres, are convinced that IT capabilities are an important aspect of what makes a person employable.

Explaining their reasons, the pair noted that IT skills are now basic requirements for a majority of employers and that the internet has become a major part of the recruitment process.

"Not having the basic computing skills prevents people from working in roles that require ICT skills, and these jobs attract a salary premium of between three and ten per cent," the employment experts remarked.

Last month, a report in the Times cited an ICM poll as showing that 16 per of people in the UK cannot use search engines and one in five are unable to send an email.

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