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IT Contractors: Look Outside The Capital

Servers

A new report shedding light on the availability of tech jobs across the country shows that IT contractors should look beyond London when looking for work, Contractor UK reports.

A recent study by Tech Cities Job Watch found that more than 25% of recently advertised UK tech jobs were from cities outside of London; in fact, 74% of digital organisations are based away from the capital.

Now, cities such as Bristol and Manchester are rapidly becoming ‘tech hubs,’ thanks to greater technological developments which mean that it’s less important for like-minded companies to exist geographically near one another.

Another reason for this development has been the rising costs of living, renting, and hiring staff in London. With the capital’s reputation for increasingly extortionate property prices, many business and start-up owners have looked elsewhere when establishing a base for their company.

The article examined which IT skills are most in demand in other parts of the country, concluding the following:

Mobile

With the world becoming more mobile-centric, mobile and web development skills are in demand across the country, accounting for two-thirds of all digital vacancies; but it seems that they are particularly sought after in the South West, which is home to many flourishing app development companies.

Cloud

More than ever, technology firms require workers who specialise in developing, testing and providing support for Cloud computing. Demand is high throughout the country, although – in this case – the bulk of opportunities has actually come from London.

Security

Cyber security is a hot topic at the moment, thanks in part to high-profile hacking incidents in the news. This means that all tech firms are keen to improve their virtual defences and need the right talent to do so; but with a shortage in this area, contractor rates and salaries have risen considerably.

Big data

IT contractors with a knowledge of big data can also expect to earn high rates, and with three out of five organisations not having the skills to use customer data responsibly, their skills are also in high demand. Research shows that there is a particularly strong market for big data experts in the North West to help with change management projects, although demand is evident across the UK.