IT Skills in demand for 2010

Demand for IT contractors has been steadily increasing over the last three months, mainly due to the over zealous headcount reductions early last year leaving gaps in the IT workforce which now need to be filled, especially as we now hear the recession is officially over.

Many major projects were put on hold or cancelled as the recession hit, but companies are now looking to drive business forward and IT is the key to their success.

Flexibility is still going to be crucial for 2010 as there is likely to be a rise in demand for more widely skilled contractors who can deliver greater value. We may see specialist roles wane in favour of more commercially focused roles. Think ‘Efficiency’ and ‘Cost Effective’.

Data and information security is likely to be huge for IT contractors in 2010 as cyber crime continues to rise. Penetration Testing goes hand in hand with security and will be expanded to include any application that involves personal data, including client data.

Enterprise-wide systems such as CRM and ERP always need support and maintenance, as will finance systems - especially as companies look for fiscal efficiency following the recent economic climate.

System automation and online development will drive a lot of companies’ IT hiring plans in 2010, as they attempt to reduce their carbon footprint with ‘Green IT,’ while virtualisation and 'cloud computing' is also gathering momentum.

IT managers, IT support, project managers, SQL and software engineering are also likely to remain popular across all sectors.

Many clients may still proceed with caution when implementing new IT projects, considering only the first half of the year initially. Contracts may therefore continue to be shorter in the first instance, with extensions likely as confidence in the market improves.