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BIS: Businesses need skills during economic downturn

People who invest in their skills will help the UK out of the recession, a spokesperson from the Department of Innovation and Skills (BIS) has suggested.

In comments which may encourage people to think about enrolling on an IT course, the spokesperson said it is crucial to both personal and national prosperity.

"Skills are likely to be the key factor determining the UK's resilience and ability to come through recession and to make the most of upturn," he emphasised.

Microsoft appears to believe in the necessity for IT skills. Its latest study in conjunction with the International Data Corporation found that 5.8 million jobs will be created in the sector over the next four years.

This is partly due to an increase in IT spending, suggested Stephen Uden, head of skills and economic affairs at Microsoft.

He revealed that there will be 35.6 million people employed in the sector at the end of this year, with a three per cent growth rate per year to be seen through to 2013.

This, he said, is "more than three times faster than the growth of total employment" and therefore shows the growing need for IT competency.

The sector will also be responsible for extensive job creation, Mr Uden advised, which may help to boost the economy and ensure its longer-term stability.

It is predicted that 75,000 new companies will be created between now and the end of 2013, which are likely to be small and locally-owned organisations, the Microsoft representative said.

With latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showing the unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent in the three months to June, this could come as welcome news not only to the economy but to those pursuing jobs in IT.

The UK seems to be crawling its way up the rankings as a credible place to study IT, as it recently took sixth place in a poll of the world's top environments for a competitive IT sector.

The analysis from the Economist Intelligence Unit suggested the UK received strong scores for supporting IT development, despite falling from third position in last year's poll.

As the BIS spokesperson suggested, employers who take on skilled staff are the most likely to weather the recession. Attitudes need to adapt, however, in order to address the changes in the economy.

"The vision of increasing our skill levels and the associated benefits was first set out by Lord Leitch in his review of skills and has been the main thrust of our skills strategy ever since.

"But much has changed since Leith published his review, with the global downturn and credit crunch," the spokesperson stated.

Many groups have said that the recession - and rising unemployment - have given the incentive for people to embark on a new project.

Dragon's Den star James Caan emphasised this in recent weeks, suggesting that people have become more inclined to take risks in the current economic climate, which brings out the entrepreneurial spirit.

"A recession is jarring and it forces people to reconsider their business situation," he said, in comments which may inspire people to enrol on an IT training course.

Whatever situation a person may be in, whether they have been made unemployed or simply want to face a new challenge, it seems that IT skills remain more important than ever.

With large corporations such as Microsoft acknowledging the value of such skills, it appears that now is as good a time as any to get an education in IT.