IT industry faces staff crisis to fill 14,000 jobs

THE IT industry is facing a staffing crisis with companies struggling to fill 14,000 jobs in the next three years.

An EU study, backed by the Irish Computer Society, predicted significant growth in employment in the IT sector with 2,790 jobs to be created this year, 6,382 next year, and 4,342 in 2004-2005.

However, it said colleges had underestimated the demand for IT graduates, and that, coupled with an unprecedented dip in demand for IT courses, the industry faced a new manpower crisis.