Tech remains top career choice to get through recession

Over two thirds (67%) of young adults are considering a career in tech, according to new research*. In theory, that would be the equivalent of over 4.5 million entry level workers joining the industry.

The survey – carried out among 1,005 16-24-year-olds and over 1,000 IT and tech workers – found that young people are turning to the tech sector in search of job stability. Despite recent layoffs at the major tech firms, respondents ranked IT and technology as the industry to provide the best career prospects during a recession (44%), above finance (31%), education (28%), healthcare (27%) and legal (22%).

Over half (55%) of respondents agreed a career in tech is more appealing right now because it offers stability during tough economic times, although a further 27% claimed a career in tech has always been appealing.

Entry level job prospects

With the cost-of-living crisis intensifying, the top reason young people are considering a career in tech is because it pays well. They would hope for a starting salary of £30,472 but could have their expectations exceeded: skilled tech workers claimed the average entry level tech salary in their organization is £33,036.

The tech specialties that young people are most interested in include gaming (32%), data analytics (23%), IT support (23%), cybersecurity (23%) and artificial intelligence (21%). This somewhat reflects the specialties that skilled tech workers believe will create the biggest job opportunities in 2023. This includes cybersecurity (37%), IT support (30%), artificial intelligence (29%), cloud (27%) and data analytics ( 24%).

Onboarding entry level talent

Whatever the motivations for young people to join the sector, experienced tech workers are ready to embrace a new influx of talent. In fact, nine in ten (89%) skilled tech workers believe entry level talent would help improve their own career prospects, and seven in ten (71%) say they are prepared to invest time and energy developing entry level workers.

Dominic Harvey, director at CWJobs, commented: “The recent high profile tech layoffs are not indicative of the situation in the wider industry. It’s encouraging to see that young people continue to view IT and technology as a secure career with good prospects.

“There are going to be tough times ahead for many organizations, but employers may find they benefit from an increased tech talent pool. They need to capitalize on this opportunity and make sure young people don’t just see tech as a job to get through tough times, but an exciting career path that offers good progression. This will ultimately help to build the tech talent pipeline and close the skills gap.”

*research from CWJobs