[HIB]A-level results confirm IT industry's fears

This morning's A-level results confirm fears that the UK is not producing the new IT talent so desperately needed by the industry. A 2.4% drop in the number of students taking IT-related A-levels compared with 2009 does little to bolster the numbers of new entrants needed to meet the demand for IT staff in UK businesses. This year's figures show a 24% drop in the number of young people who took IT-related A-levels compared to 2005, with 16,251 gaining computing and ICT A-levels, compared with 21,450 students five years ago. Some 4,065 students received computing A-level, compared to 4,710 this time last year - a drop of 13.7%. Computing A-level explores hardware, software and programming techniques. ICT A-level saw a slight increase, with 12,186 students taking the course, compared with 11,948 last year - a rise of 2%. The syllabus covers the processing and communication of information using computer systems as well as understanding the use of ICT within a business context.

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