Firms 'need some protection from criminal liability'

Businesses should have greater protection against any criminal acts, such as health and safety breaches, committed by their workers, an expert has claimed.

A recent report by the Law Commission called for courts to be able to apply a due diligence defence to some cases that could see firms and company directors hit with criminal liability for actions carried out by their staff.

Commenting on the publication, Recruitment Society chairman Steve Huxham said that companies always face the prospect of hiring a 'rogue' member of staff, who could be more likely to commit a criminal act and place the firm at risk of court action.

'It is important that [firms] do have that right to defend themselves and to demonstrate what they have done to minimise the risk both to themselves and to the public, other businesses, etc,' he explained.

Mr Huxham also recommended that companies establish an audit trail, so they are able to demonstrate to a court that they did all they could to prevent employees from being involved in events such as health and safety breaches.
 

Windows 7 migration IT workers 'face increasing demand'

The demand for highly-skilled Microsoft Windows 7 migration IT workers will exceed supply in 2011 and 2012, a new study has predicted.

In research which may interest those seeking new IT jobs, industry analyst Gartner pointed out that firms will face a growing need to move from Windows XP and Windows 2000 to Windows 7 in the coming years and claimed they could have difficulty finding the personnel to help carry this out.

Charles Smulders, managing vice-president at Gartner, explained: 'Corporate IT departments typically prefer to migrate PC operating systems [OS] via hardware attrition, which means bringing in the new OS as they replace hardware through a normal refresh cycle.'

However, he added that Microsoft will offer support for Windows XP for another four years, increasing the pressure on companies to speed up their migration to Windows 7 and boost the demand for workers skilled in this area.

Earlier this month, Gartner forecast that worldwide IT spending by businesses will increase by 2.9 per cent in 2010 to exceed $2.4 trillion (£1.5 trillion).
 

HP to create 700 IT jobs in Scotland

Over 700 new IT jobs are to be created in Scotland by international technology company Hewlett-Packard (HP), it has been revealed.

The firm is to set up an IT service hub at its base in Renfrewshire and will gain up to £7 million in Regional Selective Assistance support from Scottish Enterprise to help with the development.

Last year, news that HP would transfer manufacturing operations from the Erskine site to a base in the Czech Republic cast doubt on the future of the facility.

Alex Salmond, the Scottish first minister, commented: 'This government continues to work hard to attract new jobs and investment to Scotland and I am delighted that Hewlett-Packard is creating more than 700 jobs at its Renfrewshire base.'

He also claimed that HP's decision to continue its investment in the site demonstrates Scotland's strong reputation in the IT industry.

Last month, the Welsh Assembly announced that the £40 million High Performance Computing Wales project will increase the county's standing in the supercomputing field.
 

Worldwide server shipments rise

Server shipments across the globe rose during the second quarter of 2010, new research has revealed.

People seeking IT jobs may be interested to hear that a study by Gartner found that such shipments rose 27.1 per cent year-on-year during the period, while revenue also climbed 14.3 per cent.

It also revealed that HP was the dominant force in the server market based on revenue, ahead of the likes of IBM, Dell, Oracle and Fujitsu.

Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice-president at Gartner, said while some regional variations emerged, all areas tended to enjoy improved market conditions.

He added: 'x86-based servers grew 28.9 per cent in units in the second quarter and 37.0 per cent in revenues. RISC/Itanium Unix servers remained constrained, with declines of 16.5 per cent in shipments and decreases of 8.8 per cent in vendor revenues, compared to the same quarter last year.'

Previous research from Gartner found that the western PC market grew 19.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2010.

IT 'becoming a safer profession'

IT jobseekers have been told that the industry will become a 'safer' area in the coming years.

According to Gerry McLaughlin of ITContractor.com, this is because the number of people choosing to take IT-related degrees has fallen from the high levels previously seen in the late nineties.

He added that, in turn, this means there is 'not a great bank' of people with IT skills that organisations will be able to call on.

'IT will prove to be a lucrative and much safer profession over the next five to ten years,' he explained.

'The information age has arrived and those working in IT are in the vanguard of it.'

Mr McLaughlin's comments have come after research by E-Skills UK revealed that demand for staff with IT skills rose during the first quarter of 2010.

This was in contrast to the drop in overall demand for labour in the UK over the same period.

Graduates 'could benefit from IT experience'

IT jobs experience may be vital for graduates looking to break into the world of work, it has been claimed.

Gerwyn Davies, public policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said those leaving higher education can improve their chances of gaining employment by identifying where skills shortages currently exist.

He outlined that private sector areas including accountancy, IT and engineering are currently in need of skills.

Mr Davies added that graduates should be prepared to focus on lifelong learning, as this will ensure they continue to broaden their range of skills.

'For instance, in IT it's not just a question of being proficient in IT, other skills such as business awareness will be required to give you the edge over your competitors,' he explained.

Earlier this week, the CIPD/KPMG labour market outlook survey revealed that 45 per cent of employers have vacancies they regard as hard to fill.

IT skills 'crucial to businesses'

People with IT skills are now crucial to the success of businesses, according to an expert.

Gerry McLaughlin of ITContractor.com has claimed that a 'sea change' has occurred, which has seen IT move from being an area that managers saw as easy to cut to an area of major importance.

He highlighted that the transformation has come about as computing turned out to be a 'cost-cutting enabler' during the recent economic downturn.

'In the new information age, access to business information is seen as the biggest differentiator and companies didn't want to come out of recession a couple of years behind their rivals in terms of the software components of their products and services,' he explained.

Mr McLaughlin added that companies now realise that quality IT gives them a great competitive advantage.

His comments have come after research by E-Skills suggested that the IT jobs market was in good health during the first quarter of 2010.

IT diploma figures welcomed

The number of young people looking to seek work in the IT sector could rise in the coming years, new figures have suggested.

According to ComputerWeekly.com, the number of students gaining IT diplomas at both foundation and higher levels has risen significantly from last year.

Karen Price, chief executive officer of E-Skills UK, told the website that this year's figures are pleasing.

'The qualification was created by employers and covers the knowledge and skills they see most appropriate for careers in the IT sector,' she outlined.

'Because of the employer involvement, students are also really enjoying studying the diploma, as they can see how the knowledge and skills they acquire are directly relevant to the exciting reality of a career in technology.'

The recent Business Confidence Monitor from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales revealed there has been an increase in the number of firms planning to take on workers in the next year, which could benefit many IT workers.

Research sheds light on IT security concerns

A new report has shed light on the top areas which IT professionals will have to consider when improving security services.

The study, carried out at the Def Con 2010 Hacker conference in Las Vegas, revealed that 96 per cent of hackers believe that cloud-based solutions will open up opportunities for them.

According to Barmak Meftah, chief products officer of Fortify Software, which sponsored the poll, there is a feeling that cloud vendors are not doing their best to tackle security issues.

He added: 'While 'only' 12 per cent said they hacked cloud systems for financial gain, that still means a sizeable headache for any IT manager planning to migrate their IT resources into the cloud.'

The release of the research has come after a study by Gartner suggested that the security software market is set to grow by 11 per cent in 2010.

It also revealed that the consumer market remains the largest security software segment.

IDC report highlights Ethernet market growth

The Ethernet switch and router markets enjoyed growth during the second quarter of 2010, according to new research.

International Data Corporation's (IDC's) Worldwide Quarterly Enterprise Networks Tracker, which may interest those seeking IT jobs, revealed that the switch market enjoyed revenue growth of 32.7 per cent over the period.

The study also found that revenue growth of 11 per cent was seen in the routing market, while strong performance was seen across a range of regions and product segments.

Rohit Mehra, director of enterprise communications infrastructure at IDC, said the research from the second quarter 'builds on the performance of the first'.

The expert added: 'The continued adoption of Power over Ethernet and gigabit Ethernet is also being helped by the underlying networking drivers – the growth of voice and video over IP applications, network-attached devices, virtualisation and cloud computing.'

Previous figures published by IDC also suggested that worldwide microprocessor unit shipments and revenues increased in the second quarter of this year.

Migrant workers 'filling UK skills gaps'

New figures have shown that the UK's demand for migrant workers is increasing in line with improvements in the labour market, which may interest IT jobseekers.

The Labour Market Outlook report, published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and professional services provider KPMG, revealed that 45 per cent of firms currently have job vacancies.

In addition, the research revealed that 17 per cent of employers plan to take on migrant workers to fill skills gaps, while 21 per cent of companies have already taken on new staff from overseas locations.

CIPD public policy adviser Gerwyn Davies, the author of the report, said: 'The study highlights the complex juggling act the government now faces. The proposed introduction of a migration cap comes at a time when many employers are still struggling to fill skilled vacancies.'

He also pointed out that the UK will have to increase its training of skilled workers in areas such as IT and engineering if it is to fill skills shortages with local employees.

Recent figures from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Grant Thornton showed that 1.1 per cent of UK firms think they will increase overall headcounts in the coming year.
 

Graduate recruitment schemes 'not the only option for students'

Students who are worried about finding work in the current jobs market need to consider options other than graduate recruitment schemes, an expert has argued.

Recent research by the Association of Investment Companies found that 55 per cent of university students are concerned they will not be able to secure employment after they graduate.

However, Graduate Recruitment Bureau co-founder Dan Hawes said that students should not concentrate on the dwindling opportunities offered by recruitment schemes and urged them to consider the wider jobs market.

'There are lots of other jobs that aren't necessarily on schemes but require a degree. This is the big picture stuff that doesn't get widely reported,' he commented.

Furthermore, Mr Hawes said there has been a recent increase in the number of companies which are using recruitment agencies to fill their vacancies with graduates.

Last month, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation claimed that the recession has had a greater effect on the chances of young people finding a job than any other age group and called for more support to help them into work.
 

Double dip recession 'not probable'

The UK is 'unlikely' to face a double dip recession, according to an expert, which may be good news for IT jobseekers.

Andrew Goodwin, senior economic advisor to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, said there is a 20 per cent chance at most that the British economy will be hit with another recessionary period in the near future.

'Though some of the business surveys have slipped a little over the past month or so, they remain firmly in expansionary territory,' he commented.

The expert added that it would take a significant 'external shock' to cause the economy to fall back into recession, upon which the Bank of England would most likely expand its programme of quantitative easing.

However, Mr Goodwin claimed that the economy will probably not continue to benefit from the one per cent growth rate that it experienced in the second quarter of 2010.

Mr Goodwin's views contrast with those of Policy Exchange chief economist Andrew Lilico, who recently claimed that a double dip recession is likely and suggested this makes public spending cuts more important.
 

More firms 'planning to recruit'

There has

been a slight increase in the number of companies which intend to take on workers in the coming 12 months, which may be good news for those seeking new IT jobs.

The latest Business Confidence Monitor, published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Grant Thornton, found that companies are less optimistic about the prospect of economic recovery than they were at the end of the second quarter of 2010.

However, the research found that firms reported the smallest annual drop in employee numbers since the first quarter of 2009, while 1.1 per cent now plan to increase their headcounts in the next year.

Michael Izza, chief executive of the ICAEW, commented: 'UK businesses that came through the recession are now facing the challenge of surviving the recovery. They still don't know what the future holds and are uncertain about how the mood of fiscal austerity will impact the economic recovery.'

Last week, Recruitment & Employment Confederation chief executive Kevin Green warned the UK's jobs market could stall if public sector job losses offset the number of positions being created by private enterprises.
 

Interview preparation 'should be done long in advance'

Candidates

should not be waiting until the last minute to prepare for interviews, IT jobseekers have been told.

Writing on kitsapsun.com, employment expert Stephanie Horton said that the sooner applicants start preparing for the meeting, the more chance they will have of a successful outcome.

'Interview homework includes everything from studying the job requirements and company history to planning your wardrobe. Add some polish with some professional etiquette tips, and you will secure your spot in the fast lane,' she commented.

Ms Horton added that people should dress conservatively for their interview, even if they know the workplace in question has a casual dress policy.

They should also avoid wearing revealing clothing, inappropriate footwear or piercings.

In addition, the expert wrote that applicants should practice using clear speech which is free from slang in order to present themselves in the best possible light, while a good eye contact and a confident personality are also important.

Last week, an article on newsoxy.com advised jobseekers not to discuss financial considerations such as salary and benefits at the interview stage of an application.
 

More businesses 'should invest in UC'

Firms shou

ld consider investing in unified communications (UC) systems as the next part of their technology strategy, it has been suggested, which may create new IT jobs.

Henry McCracken, regional sales director for Africa at Aspect Software, highlighted the many benefits which can be realised through the communications platform, such as improved productivity and reduced costs.

'Companies who understand the role UC can play and are currently planning their UC strategies will play a role in setting a new standard, leaving those without a UC strategy behind,' he commented.

Mr McCracken claimed that UC's ability to relay multiple tools through a single platform, such as IP telephony, email, video conferencing and instant messaging, allows it to streamline the communications process of a company and make it more efficient.

Earlier this month, TriNET Systems chief technology officer Mark Damphousse wrote on InformationWeek that UC has the potential to improve a firm's relationship with its customers, by making communication easier.
 

Candidates 'should avoid monetary talk in interviews'

IT jobseekers should be wary of discussing financial considerations when interviewing for a new position, it has been suggested.

Writing on newsoxy.com, Bill Waters said that salary and employee benefits should only be considered in an interview if the topic is brought up by the company.

'During the interview, you don't want your employer to think that you want the job just because of the benefits. Wait until you have been offered the position, then ask the questions,' he explained.

Mr Waters also offered other advice for good interview technique in his article, recommending that applicants send a thank you note to the employer after the meeting to show their gratitude.

In addition, he advised people to treat their current employer with respect when moving on by working their full notice period.

Last week, Graduate Prospects business manager Chris Rea stressed the importance of confidence during an interview and said candidates should prepare themselves by rehearsing answers to common questions.
 

CMI: Gender pay gap still a problem in UK

New figures from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR suggest that it will take more than 50 years to close the UK's gender pay gap.

The 2010 National Management Salary Survey found that the pay awarded to women has increased by 2.8 per cent over the past 12 months, compared to the 2.3 per cent for male workers.

However, the research also pointed out that a male manager will still earn £10,071 more a year on average than a female manager and noted that this gap will take 57 years to close at current growth rates.

The survey also showed that in the IT sector, the gap between managers' salaries jumps to £17,736.

CMI head of policy Petra Wilton commented: 'Girls born this year will face the probability of working for around 40 years in the shadow of unequal pay.'

This month, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology vice-president of marketing Jerri Barrett said that the IT industry needs to do more to attract female workers.
 

Employees 'being pushed into unpaid overtime'

Some employees could be expected to work unpaid overtime because of the harsh economic climate, an expert has suggested, which may encourage some to seek new IT jobs.

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, said it has been well established that people are now working more hours per week than they were before the recession.

'This is unpaid work - they are not being paid overtime. It is not uncommon now for people in some sectors to be working 50 hour weeks,' he commented.

Mr Flaxton also claimed that this could result in an increase in the number of people attempting to take some form of legal action against their employers.

Earlier this month, Recruitment Society chairman Steve Huxham said that people could find switching industries to secure a better job is a worthwhile career move, so long as they understand the risks which can be involved in this.
 

Recruitment agencies 'could help long-term unemployed'

The UK's recruitment agencies could play an important role in helping to alleviate the country's employment problem, it has been argued.

Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, Conservative councillor Harry Phibbs pointed out Britain has a large number of people who are long-term unemployed and examined the various ways that they could be helped back into work.

He noted that the Policy Exchange think tank has suggested that charities such as Tomorrow's People could be allowed to take over job centres to find work for people more effectively, but claimed recruitment agencies could also play a part in this.

'Why not also let profit-making employment agencies compete to take over, paid commission each time they get someone off welfare into work - and bonuses when that person stays in the job for more than six months or a year?' Mr Phibbs wrote.

The councillor also suggested that recruitment agencies could be offered special incentives for getting people into work if they have been unemployed for a long time.

Last week, the Office for National Statistics' revealed that the number of people unemployed in the UK fell by 49,000 in the three months to June, taking the total down to 2.46 million.
 

Positivity 'essential for young jobseekers'

Young people entering the UK's jobs market, perhaps to seek IT roles, should strive to maintain positive, an expert has suggested.

Kevin Green, the chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), claimed that those who are fresh out of school are entering an especially difficult jobs market.

He claimed that school-leavers face a shortage of university places, limited guidance on what to do and strong competition for any vacancies which do exist.

However, the chief executive added: 'Our advice is to remain positive as there are still job opportunities out there.'

Mr Green advised young people to develop the skills they know employers are looking for, research which sectors are expected to grow and consider opportunities such as temporary assignments or internships.

He also called on the government to work with the UK's businesses and education providers to help more young people into work.

Last week, Mr Green warned that the country's labour market could stall if losses in the public sector offset job creation by private enterprises.
 

Security software market 'to see revenue growth'

Revenue in the worldwide security software market is set to grow by a significant amount in 2010, new research has shown.

IT industry analyst Gartner predicted that revenues in the sector will increase by 11.3 per cent over the course of the year to reach $16.5 billion (£10.5 billion).

The organisation's report pointed out that this compares to the $14.8 billion global security software revenue that was recorded in 2009, which was an increase of seven per cent on the previous year.

Ruggero Contu, principal research analyst at Gartner, commented: 'Most segments of the security software market will continue to grow over the next few years, although a significant degree of variation is expected between the more established and less mature technologies.'

He also predicted that the security sector will remain one of the strongest segments in the software market, due in part to its ability to be delivered through channels such as software-as-a-service, open source and outsourcing.

Last week, McAfee director of security Greg Day said that he expects new and more sophisticated forms of malware to emerge in the coming months.
 

Career changes 'can be a good idea'

A change of career could be well advised, if the individual fully prepares for the move, an expert has suggested.

Steve Huxham, chairman of the Recruitment Society, said that society will always face the problem of having too many people in some kinds of jobs and not enough doing others.

He illustrated this by pointing out that many companies are currently looking to recruit people with engineering skills, but are suffering from a lack of candidates.

Mr Huxham explained that people who are aiming to change careers can take advantage of situations like this and train to fill roles which are currently in demand.

'[If] the personal investment you are going to have to make in retraining makes sense, then I would say it is well worth contemplating [a career change],' the expert commented.

Recently, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology vice-president of marketing Jerri Barrett said that the IT industry needs to do more to attract female workers.
 

Government 'should support green energy jobs'

The government should be doing more to encourage young people to work in the green energy industry, an expert has argued.

Zoe Robinson, ethical development manager at Warren Evans, said that energy firms themselves have a role in making the industry more attractive to school leavers and university graduates, but claimed they could be helped more by the government.

She suggested that more investment could be made in education and apprenticeships to help people acquire the skills needed by the industry, especially in emerging areas such as green technology.

'The UK can only be world leaders in the green energy revolution if we have world-leading skills,' the expert commented.

However, Ms Robinson also pointed out that the coalition government has announced £34 million in cuts to the low-carbon projects being carried out by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and said it will need to find new ways of meeting its green commitments.

Recently, a report by the Work Foundation claimed that job creation in the low carbon economy is at risk because of confusion over regulation.
 

REC reveals results of August JobsOutlook survey

The results of the latest JobsOutlook survey have been revealed by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

A total of 29 per cent of those employers queried in the August study by the organisation suggested that their permanent workforce could increase in number in the coming year.

Meanwhile, 31 per cent of those queried believe that they might make greater use of temporary employees during this period of time.

Director of research at the REC Roger Tweedy commented that employers' immediate plans are being determined by economic uncertainty.

He stated: 'At a national level, continued uncertainty about the strength of the economic recovery makes it difficult for many employers to be more positive about their immediate hiring plans.'

It was recently revealed by the Office for National Statistics that the quarter leading up to June of this year saw an unemployment rate of 7.8 per cent across the country.