Careers Wales is urging Newport youngsters to consider a career in technology as research shows Wales will need 11,000 more ICT professionals by 2022.

The Wales-wide careers advice service has launched a Spotlight on ICT – an online resource highlighting up-to-date labour market information aimed at helping inform young people’s career decisions.

Currently one in 45 people in Wales are employed in the sector, with Newport employing 3,000 ICT professionals – 10 per cent more than Swansea and 42 per cent less than Cardiff.

The local authority areas employing the lowest number of ICT professionals are Monmouthshire, employing 800, and Conwy and Torfaen, both of which employ around 700.

The Spotlight states that demand for tech specialists in Wales is expected to grow by 25 per cent up to the year 2024.

Jobs in demand include programmers and software developers, ICT specialist managers, ICT and telecoms professionals and ICT operations technicians.

The research shows that, in Wales, a tech specialist can earn on average £31,100 and earn up to £63,500.

The spotlight also demonstrates a shortage of women within the sector, despite females achieving consistently higher grades than males in IT-related subjects – only 16 per cent of tech specialists are women and just one in 10 are programmers and software developers.

Richard Spear, chief executive of Careers Wales, said: The statistics in our spotlight highlight the need for skilled professionals in this sector over the next six years. This demand indicates promising job prospects and young people in Newport who are deciding which subjects to study, or what to do after their GCSEs or A-Levels, should factor a career in ICT into their decision-making process. It’s a varied sector with professionals working in areas ranging from defence, education, retail and transport to insurance and healthcare.

“South Wales is one of the top five fastest growing clusters in the UK digital technology industry, with companies including Admiral, BBC Wales and Pinewood Studios all employing ICT professionals. Snowdonia in North Wales is also an enterprise zone focusing on ICT and digital sectors, so the employment outlook across the country is really positive.

“It’s a fast-paced sector, too, so it’s important for young jobseekers to try and keep on top of new developments to show employers they are informed and ahead of the digital curve. Networking and getting to know people within the industry through social media and face to face is really important.

“Those considering a career in ICT should also try to secure work placements, as a lack of general work experience is a key reason cited by employers for not employing an applicant.”

Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language, Alun Davies, said: “Wales has undergone something of a tech boom in the last decade, with South Wales recently listed as among the five fastest growing digital clusters in the UK. It’s showing no sign of slowing down, either. While Cardiff has been a key driver of this boom – ICT businesses are sprouting up across the country,

“Careers Wales’ Spotlight on ICT is a useful tool to help young people interested in the sector make informed decisions about their career.

“Jobs in ICT will play a vital part in boosting Wales and the UK’s digital portfolio. Our hope is that investment in this sector will allow for further developments over the coming years and will help the industry to continue to thrive in Wales.”