Information Technology and Computing

The sector in a snapshot

Technology businesses are at the heart of the UK economy, making cities greener and underpinning the financial, health, manufacturing, and mobility sectors. The UK has one of the world’s largest technology ecosystems with thousands of tech start-ups, built around a strong entrepreneurial culture. UK technology fuels our most successful sectors, including digital, healthcare, transport, creative, entertainment, financial services, cyber security, agriculture, and communications.

“Since 2014, the UK has produced more than twice the total number of billion-dollar tech companies than any other European country, with only the US and China outpacing it when it comes to building fast-growth firms.” (Computerweekly,2020)

Growing career areas include agile methodologies, mobile and application development, the internet of things and artificial intelligence and machine learning. There are 5 million people working in UK tech startups and scaleups, and where other industries have been scrapping staff, the technical industry continues to grow (Tech Nation 2022 report).

What could the sector offer you?

Jobs in this industry are likely to:

A career in an area of grow- digital careers and most certainly computers are not going anywhere anytime soon!
Give a job with processes- if you like a job where things are done in certain ways, then this is a career with processes.
Give you problems to solve- although the above point is true, nothing is perfect and new problems arise all the time. If you like the idea of fixing things, this career could be for you.
Have good pay- tech career tend to pay quite well comparatively, this is due to the high skill level needed.
Be practical- you will be practical, not all technology and computing roles will have you sat at a computer every day!

Reality Check

Careers in this sector require a lot of training and hard work. Without the technical knowledge of the tools you are using, you will struggle to achieve in this sector. Because of the good pay, this sector can also be highly competitive, with competition not just coming from home but also abroad. It's therefore essential to keep on top of trends and changes.

You are likely to need to have skills in...

STEM, team working, creativity, excellent IT, patience and perseverance, able to identify and solve technical problems, communication, attention to detail

Some roles in the sector

IT SUPPORT/SPECIALISTS (Can earn up to £50,000 or more with expertise but starting is £18,000)

IT support is a broad term for anyone that monitors and maintains the computer systems and networks of an organisation. You will be installing and configuring computer systems, diagnosing hardware and software faults and solving technical and applications problems, either over the phone or in person. Consultants and Specialists in this area will make suggestions on how to effectively use IT products and services, going out to company partners to support in house. They can earn a high wage for their time and expertise

SOFTWARE ENGINEER (£24,000- £70,000 per annum)

As a software engineer, you'll work in a constantly evolving environment, due to technological advances and the strategic direction of the organisation you work for. You'll create, maintain, audit and improve systems to meet particular needs, often as advised by a systems analyst or architect, testing both hard and software systems to diagnose and resolve system faults. The role also covers writing diagnostic programs and designing and writing code for operating systems and software to ensure efficiency.

DATA SCIENTIST (between £30-70,000 per annum)

Data science is an up and coming area of science, usually focused on AI. Data scientists utilise their analytical, statistical, and programming skills to collect, analyse, and interpret large data sets. They then use this information to develop data-driven solutions to difficult business challenges. It is a complex mix of mathematical skills and technology which needs you to stay on top of the curve when it comes to technological advancements in Artificial Intelligence.