A lack of skilled IT workers are preventing Scottish IT and digital businesses from filling job vacancies and from coping with increasing demand for goods and services.

A survey has revealed that while Scotland is expected to require more than 45,000 new IT and digital professionals over the next five years, 52 percent of surveyed businesses had been forced to look for employees outside of Scotland.

The 2013 Scottish Technology Industry survey found that while 70 percent of respondents were looking for more staff, a 10 percent increase on results from 2012, a lack of skilled new workers had meant that the increasing demand has not met.

Scottish SME’s are particularly dependent on a strong national workforce, reliant on not having to train new staff in order to expand.

Increased IT spending from business development and the move to new IT services has seen increasing growth in the IT and digital services market, but the employee market has failed to match the pace of growth. One of the most in demand employee categories was new graduates at 58 percent.

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