IT chiefs choose trained staff over better kit

Two thirds of respondents in the BCS research claimed they wanted more focus on IT at all levels of education

IT managers would rather have more skilled staff than a better IT infrastructure, research has claimed.

The British Computer Society, which recently rebranded itself as BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, tasked research firm Opinion Leader with quizzing a variety of IT chiefs.

About two thirds claimed they wanted more focus on IT at all levels of education and the same amount want increased investment in fostering IT skills. Just over half claimed making IT qualifications more commercially focused is of key importance.

In terms of the public sector's IT infrastructure, 81 per cent of respondents singled out education as a high priority area for government investment. About 60 per cent picked out healthcare, one in five said crime and justice and 16 per cent wanted more cash ploughed into Ministry of Defence IT.

The rollout of faster broadband was picked out by two thirds as the most important aspect in improving national IT infrastructure.

Respondents took a reasonably sunny view of the economic outlook, with 54 per cent feeling positive about the IT industry's prospects for the next 12 months. This figure is seventeen points more than the amount who feel positive about the prospects for UK plc as a whole. Despite this, 64 per cent confidently predicted the UK will pull out of recession by the end of 2010.

BCS chief executive David Clarke said: "Investment in IT education is essential if we are to turn a nascent economic recovery into a long-term competitive advantage.

"Our ability to process, share and manage information will determine the success of our society. To be successful, we need a high performing IT education system and a population with the IT skills to be productive, empowered citizens. "

Earlier this week, the BCS announced the formation of its Academy of Computing, which has been set up to devise a more coherent approach to advanced computing skills. The Academy will work with bodies across the academic, research and business worlds.

The BCS has singled out six areas which it believes are the biggest IT issues facing society. These are: the digital divide; information vulnerability; poor information management; IT project failures; IT skills shortages; and a lack of clear career paths for IT professionals.

In tandem with this, the BCS has outlined a new strategy, focusing on the achievement of five key objectives. The first of these focuses on bridging the gap between education, practice and research and the second on giving IT practitioners better career development support.

The third objective is to influence public policy on IT's contribution to society and the fourth is to ensure that everyone can reap the benefits of IT. The BCS' final objective is to champion the IT profession globally.

The Academy's director Dr Bill Mitchell said: "Computing has a distinguished heritage, emerging from a rich variety of other disciplines. Consequently, the advancement of computing as an academic discipline needs a unifying forum to provide integration and coherence across education, research and business."