IT's dull image deters undergraduates

Many students are put off a career in the IT industry because they perceive it as 'boring', new research suggests, even though they believe it offers good job prospects.

In the CRAC: The Career Development Organisation survey of 2,000 undergraduates, 60% of non-computing students cited 'boring work' as the main reason why they would not look for a career in the sector.

However, the poll also revealed a variation in male and female attitudes, with men being significantly more willing to consider working in IT than women.

Respondents of both sexes felt that the benefits of a computing degree had not been clearly communicated to them at school, an issue which was recently picked up on by Carrie Hartnell, the Programme Manager of Intellect.

She told Computing.co.uk that the UK's IT skills deficit is likely to worsen if action is not taken to remedy the problem at a grassroots level.