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Ageism in IT remains a barrier as skills gap is left wide open 17 October 2000
The study of 1,369 professionals in the IT sector, which was conducted by Silicon Research Services, found that recruitment and retention is a major problem. Sixty five per cent admitted that their company is finding it difficult to recruit staff and reported difficulties with retention. More than four in five thought the Government should be doing more to stop ageism in the workplace, signifying a lack of awareness of any recent Government initiative on age. Seventy two per cent said they were unaware of the Government's voluntary code of practice on age diversity. 'With the current shortage of skills in the IT sector, companies cannot afford to ignore such an important pool of resources,' according to Lisa Burroughes, e-society editor at silicon.com. "While legislation remains an option, the Government needs to promote its code of practice on age diversity much more effectively to ensure that companies understand the business costs of age prejudice.' Sam Mercer, campaign director of the Employers Forum on Age, says: 'The Government's recent immigration initiatives could well help to close this skills gap. A rise in immigration would boost the UK workforce but it's not enough on its own. If the Government and IT industry are serious about addressing skills shortages they should work towards changing a culture that at present undervalues the contribution and experience of employees as young as 35.' Other findings include:
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