There may be a shortage of 50,000 information technology degree graduates by 2010, according to a consultants' study. It said the shortfall was now between 1,700 and 4,000 and by 2005 would be between 3,700 and 14,000. This needed to be dealt with.
The greatest growth in demand is expected for 'consultancy and specialist' practitioners and 'IT management' - at 14 per cent and 12 per cent per year.
The lowest level of growth is expected to be among computer operators at five per cent.
'In order to achieve the goal of being leader in the IT industry, Hong Kong will need to increase the supply of IT practitioners, and improve the training and education offered to IT practitioners, particularly in terms of the range, relevance, timeliness and flexibility of training,' the study, commissioned by the Government and carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers, says.
