e-skills UK in Northern Ireland

Research and LMI

Technology Counts Northern Ireland

This document summarises the findings of e-skills UK's recent research to provide an in depth understanding of the existing IT & Telecoms landscape in Northern Ireland. It provides forecasts for the future based on the best available intelligence, with new input from over 2,300 employers across the UK, including 416 in Northern Ireland.

On the basis of this research, e-skills UK will continue to work with employers and partners across the four nations of the UK. This work will help to ensure that Northern Ireland has the skills to secure its place at the forefront of the global digital economy.

Download the report

Technology Counts Northern Ireland: IT & Telecoms Insights 2010 - PDF (1.4MB)

See below for a presentation and summary of the key findings from the Northern Ireland report

Key findings

• The IT & Telecoms sector contributes 1.4% of Northern Ireland’s gross value added.
• Continued adoption and exploitation of Information and Communications Technologies could generate an additional £0.8 billion to the economy.
• 3% of people working in the Northern Ireland are employed in the IT & Telecoms workforce.
• The number of IT & Telecoms professionals employed is forecast to grow at 2.6% per annum over the next ten years, over eight times the average for Northern Ireland (0.3% per annum).
• The IT & Telecoms professional workforce needs more than 1,900 new entrants to join it every year to keep up with demand.
• 80% of firms in Northern Ireland report skills shortages in applicants for IT & Telecoms posts.
• Of those firms with IT & Telecoms professionals, one in 14 report gaps in their skills, most often in their business and technical skills.
• 94% of all job vacancies require applicants to have IT user skills.
• Gender remains a significant issue, with just 17% of IT & Telecoms professionals in 2009 being female.
• From 2002-2008, the total number of applicants to all degree courses in Northern Ireland has increased by 12%.
• By contrast, the number of applicants to Mathematical and Computer Science courses has declined by 39% over the same time period. 

Click here to view previous reports.

Northern Ireland Snapshot

e-skills UK has recently released the second edition of the 'Northern Ireland ICT Snapshot'. The Snapshot is a dedicated source of information about changes in the demand and supply of ICT labour and skills in Northern Ireland.

It summarises the latest labour market intelligence and the results from a survey of more than 300 employers of ICT professionals in Northern Ireland.

The snapshot forms part of the ICT Action Plan, a collaborative programme of activity involving Momentum (the Northern Ireland ICT Trade Federation), Invest Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment and Learning, and e-skills UK.

Click below to download a copy of the report:

NI ICT Snapshot - Jan 2010 (PDF - 176KB)

Click here to view the previous report.

Last modified: 09 Apr 2010