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IT teacher-training slumps in popularity

03/07/2008 Women applying to begin postgraduate teacher-training courses in IT are decreasing in number, with fewer students as a whole moving into the IT sector.

Just 508 men and 273 women had applied to study an IT PGCE as of June 2008, a drop of 111 men and 60 women compared to the same time last year, according to the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR).

The total number applicants for England, Scotland and Wales has dropped by 18 per cent across all subjects, but IT has suffered the second most drastic slump, with only physics applications declining more.

In order to meet the IT industry's increasing requirement for skilled staff, it was predicted 140,000 new employees will be needed annually, but Margaret Sambell, head of strategy for e-skills UK, is concerned this is unlikely to happen.

"With employment in the UK's IT industry continuing to grow five times faster than the all-industry average, it is essential we inspire young people about technology and encourage them to consider becoming the IT professionals of the future," she said.

"We should all be very concerned about this decline in students applying to teach IT."

In the past five years there has also been a 50 per cent drop in applications to study computer science degrees.


View and apply for graduate roles on womenintechnology.co.uk.
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