Report on IT and Computing Job Market Trends in the UK - [Course Name]

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the IT and computing job market in the UK, analyzing current trends, employment opportunities, and required skills. The report begins with an introduction highlighting the evolution of technology and the increasing demand for IT professionals. Section A focuses on group work, examining market trends, employment, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities. It also covers employable skills and the top-paying jobs in IT. Specific activities for each member and a coursework journal are included. Section B presents individual work from each member, detailing their career goals and personal development plans. The report concludes with an evaluation and references, offering valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of the IT job market. The report also highlights the demand for various IT professionals, including data scientists, software developers, and AI/ML engineers. The analysis is based on secondary research from various online sources. The report also includes a reflection on group management and teamwork.

Table of contents
Introduction 2
Section A: Group work 2
Trends of market jobs in IT and computing in the UK 2
Employment Opportunities 2
Internship Opportunities 2
Apprenticeship Opportunities 3
Employable skills 3
Top 5 highest paying jobs in IT 4
Primary and Secondary Findings 5
Specific activities for each member 6
Coursework Journal 6
Reflection on group management 6
Section B: Individual work 6
Ana - 2071498 6
Nuha - 1804249 7
Ramya - 2083209 10
Rashmi - 2082353 11
Evaluation 13
Conclusion 14
References 15
1

Introduction
Over time the world; especially the UK, has become a technology-based society. How we
communicate, the way we travel, work, study, create, etc. are all possible because of the
technology created. Technology and computing have evolved and come so far in the world.
From finding faster ways to communicate to artificial intelligence, the IT job market is in high
demand.
This report highlights the trends of the IT and computing job market. We have researched and
examined how the IT job market has evolved in the last five years and how it plans to excel in
the future. We have also evaluated the jobs with high demand and the jobs that are well
remunerated. As well as highlighting the job trends, the report will also show the group
progression and our individual progression.
Section A: Group work
Trends of market jobs in IT and computing in the UK
Last year, CV-library published data showing the typical salaries for IT jobs rose by
1.5% and the number of vacancies has grown by 9.3% compared to 2018. Although the
vacancies have increased, the number of applications has also increased by 29%, implying that
getting a job is more competitive. ( Carey, 2020)
Employment Opportunities
As the world is evolving and learning different ways to use technology, there are many
employment opportunities in the UK. The UK rate of employment increased by 0.3% compared
to 2019 and is now at 76.4% ( Employment in the UK - Office for National Statistics, 2020).
Internship Opportunities
An internship is a learning experience where we get meaningful and practical knowledge to
develop a career. It can be part-time or full-time. The main benefits of having an internship are;
work experience, browsing your career path, practicing skills, connecting with professionals,
and finally achieving confidence. The covid-19 pandemic hit most areas giving a negative impact
on most businesses and jobs. Recent data shows that “the UK internship opportunities have
risen by 30%”
(VERDICT, 2020) This is beneficial to those choosing a job in the computing field.
2

Apprenticeship Opportunities
They say that young people should study, but there is no age limit to learning. An
apprenticeship is a course for students who prefer to learn in the field rather than from a book
or lecture. The student must be trained for at least 12 months and at least 30 hours per week.
They can study different courses such as business analyst, cybersecurity, data analyst, digital
marketing, and software development. All students are paid the Minimum Wage (NMW), which
last year was £3.90 per hour for students under 19 and over 19 (Higginbotham, December
2019) Below are a few examples of popular IT-related apprenticeships:
● When working in cybersecurity the initial salary would be the minimum wage of
£18,000-25,000, with the salary increasing gradually. (Sound, 2020)
● A Business Analyst apprenticeship requires studying for 18 months. The average salary
of a Business Analyst is £32,500. (Training, 2014-2020)
● A Data Analyst apprenticeship requires studying for 20 months. This job includes Data
Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst. The salary of a Data Analyst is £29,000. (Training,
2014-2020)
● A Software Development apprenticeship requires studying for 20 months.
They will study C++, PHP, Java. The salary of a Software Developer is
£18-32,000. (Training, 2014-2020)
Employable skills
When people want to work in IT, they must show employers what skills they have – to be
motivated, to be able to communicate with other workers and to know how to work in a team.
They also need IT skills, have confidence in the workplace and trust their colleagues (do not be
arrogant). Sometimes they may get nervous, but they should be optimistic and confident.
Employers look for people who can and know how to work in a team, who can give a new idea,
and who can support the team. In IT, employers need people who can work many hours (if
necessary), who can finish the task no matter how long it takes or no matter how difficult it is,
and to show they can logically resolve the issues from different angles. And, in IT they should be
able to count, to know math, if they do not remember the math, they should practice it
because it is often used in IT. They should be organized, decide what task to prioritize and how
to finish it by the deadline.
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Top 10 trending IT jobs in the UK:
Position Jobs Skill Needed % of advertising 2015
to 2020
1 Data Scientist Good coding skill in Python
and Java
2.03% to 2.49%
2 DevOps Engineer Good coding and scripting
skills and DevOps
Methodology such as plan,
code, build, test, release,
deploys, operate
7.20% to 16.04%
3 Cloud Engineer Good PL skill as well as an
understanding of API and
Cloud DB
0.55% to 1.34%
4 web Developer Good coding skill as well as
designing skills
1.70% to 1.17%
5 Business Analyst Knowledge about database
technology, Know about BA
tools
3.60% to 2.27%
6 Cybersecurity
Engineer
Good knowledge in
networking, OS and know
about Monitoring Tools
3.00% to 3.81%
7 AI/ML Engineer Good knowledge of ML
Algorithm and maths
background
2.50% to 3.55%
8 Scrum Master Agile experience, planning
experience, JIRA/Confluence
Experience
0.15% to 0.054%
9 Database Developer Good knowledge about SQL,
PL, MS ISCs
0.20% to 0.15%
10 Full-stack developer Knowledge about Networks,
DB, UI and security
1.55% to 3.14%
Top 5 highest paying jobs in IT
Jobs & High paying
Companies
High Salary Skill Description & Role
1.AI/ML ENGINEER 133,000/Annum Strong Mathematical
skills and strong about
PL such as
They build & Test AI-ML
Models. They
[Google, UBER, FB,
Instagram, and Twitter]
Python and R
language. Understand
Tool & Technology
such as Machine
Learning, Deep
Learning, and Neural
Networks
are the topmost player
for top companies
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2.CLOUDE ARCHITECT
[Google, Amazon,
Microsoft, and HTC]
117,000/Annum Understanding about
OS, Cloud Security,
Cloud Architecture,
AWS, GCP, and Azure
They are the bridge gap
between the business
problem and cloud
solution
3.DATA ENGINEER
[McAfee, Walmart and
EY]
109,000/Annum Strong Programming
skill and Know about
Big Data Framework,
Real-time Fretworks,
and DB architecture
They are Responsible
for connecting pieces
of Ecosystem such as
Acquire, Access, Audit
& Process and also
Build Pipeline,
Maintain DB.
4.NETWORK SECURITY
ENGINEER
[FIREEYE, Hackerone,
IBM and cisco]
108,000/Annum Knowledge about
Data Security,
Network Security, OS
up at from that know
about Risk
Management,
Encryption Tools
They produce our
computer network
from Virus, Malware,
and Spyware.
5.SOFTWARE
ARCHITECT
[NVIDIA, DELL, Intel,
Microsoft]
£105,000/Annum Skill needed such as
Java, PHP, C++, and
SQL
They are Design,
Develop & Implement
Solutions and create
communication bridge
b/w team, and
Manager.
Primary and Secondary Findings
Drawing Conclusions directly from results, data, or evidence is called primary research.
Secondary research is when conclusions are drawn based on someone else's research. Most of
the secondary data we have used for this report is from the internet. To complete our report
we have analysed secondary data to find out the job trends in IT. To find the trends and
opportunities in the IT sector we studied different websites, documents, and literature. The
findings of our research are all based on secondary data. Links to where we found our
secondary research can be found in the reference section of this report.
Specific activities for each member
Ana: Apprenticeship opportunities, Employable Skills, Individual task.
Nuha: Introduction, Trends of market jobs in IT, Employment opportunities,
Individual task, Half of the evaluation, and proof-reading.
Ramya: Group Leader, analyse trends of market jobs in IT and computing for last five year to
coming five years, Individual task and Conclusion
5

Rashmi: Internship opportunities, Individual task, primary and secondary findings, and half of
the evaluation
Coursework Journal
Week 3: Formed a group and learnt about everyone’s skill set.
Week 4: Chose Leader (Ramya) and set tasks for each member to complete
Week 5: Discussed coursework progression and answered any questions
Week 6: Developed an individual personal development plan
Week 7: Researched Personal job aspects and continued to write the report
Week 8: Discussed coursework progression and offered help to those that needed inspiration
Week 9: Combined all our work and proof-read
Week 10: Discussed presentation strategy and assigned presentation roles
Reflection on group management
From the first week of forming our group to the end, there has been a lot of improvement in how we
work as a team. The leadership of the group made a big impact on how we worked together as the
group was guided well. The management of the group was much organized and well planned which led
to a good cooperation of all team members.
Section B: Individual work
Ana - 2071498
I would like a job role in one of the following fields; Data Scientist, Computer
Programming, Software Developer, Web Developer, Developing Games. To be a Data Scientist I
would need to know a programming language like Python and a database language. It will be
necessary to study data such as data coding and information transfer. To work in Computer
Programming, I must be able to work in a team and communicate well with others, to share
solutions and ideas. I must be able to write codes (like Python, Java, or C++), must understand
arithmetic, algebra, mathematics; I must be able to identify problems and to have good results
(like images, web pages, or software applications). Software Developers must have different
programming languages, teamwork skills, and know-how to solve a problem. Web Developers
must know design skills (how the site will look and work), be an analyst (good encoding, to
understand what customer needs), know JavaScript, and understand HTML (to create a web
page on the Internet).
Developing Games includes working in a team, knowing programming languages (C# and C++),
and being creative. This job requires taking drawings, adding sounds or visual effects, and
turning them into a game.
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When I entered the University, I was afraid, I thought I would fail in everything, but then I
learned to work in a group. I now have teamwork skills and can communicate better. I also
learned the basics of writing code and the fundamentals of maths. I believe that at University,
teachers show how to write codes, and if we fail, the teachers explain how and what to do by
showing examples. This is my opinion because I want to learn how to write correct codes, to
be a programmer. I must first identify:
● My strengths
● Skills that I want to develop
● Set realistic goals for me
● What are my goals?
● What is my future?
● What are my career goals?
I need to decide what I need when I am ready to work. I must think about how much time I
have each week. I must be realistic to make sure my plan is viable. I must set myself goals and
be ready to learn new skills. I must write down what I went through, what I must learn, what
skills I have, what skills I must acquire, and what I must develop. I must plan my future, career
direction, and responsibility for my career.
My PDP is a long-term process throughout my life, it will guide me on how to improve my
working skills and knowledge. It can help me develop my skills and overcome obstacles. When I
decide who I want to become, I will track my progress, analyse it, reflect, and update. This will
help me not lose focus and remind me of the steps I need to take to develop my career.
Nuha - 1804249
There are many interesting jobs in the computing field. However, I chose this course with one
path set in mind. After learning more about the subject I have discovered other interesting
aspects of computing. Initially, I had my mind set on cybersecurity. I wanted a job in that field. I
mainly had my eye on penetration testing or a cyber security engineer. Although these jobs are
in the same field, they are very different from one another. A cyber security engineer requires
an individual to help their company fight against potential hackers and protect their sensitive
data. Whereas a penetration tester, also known as an ethical hacker; breach computers and
find the vulnerable parts of the system. However, I also want to explore the field of software
engineering. A software engineer uses engineering principles to develop software. While
applying engineering discipline and technical methods to the method of coding, they create and
develop computer systems and software. All these jobs are similar in the sense that they are
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related to computing but are very different as they have different job roles and require
different skills.
There are many skills required for the jobs I desire, however, there are very few that I possess.
For example, an individual aiming for a job in the computing field would need computer and
technology knowledge; my desired job requires programming and coding knowledge. Also,
these jobs require skills such as mathematics and the ability to approach problems
systematically. As well as having skills in the field, general skills are also needed to work
successfully. For instance, skills such as communication skills, organisation skills, writing skills,
problem-solving skills, and also self-motivation skills are needed. Out of the skills mentioned, I
believe I possess communication skills, some writing skills, and good mathematics skills.
Although I do get a little shy at first, I do find myself having a good ability to communicate with
other people of all backgrounds.
While studying at UEL I expect to acquire many different skills needed to move onto the next
step of my success. For example, I would like to gain better organisational skills as well as
knowledgeable skills such as computing skills, problem-solving skills, and coding skills.
Furthermore, I would like to improve my leadership skills as this will help me get a higher
positioned job in the future. After leaving UEL I would like to gain better self-motivation and
confidence skills. I would like to be able to motivate myself to finish my work early and move
onto the next step. I would also like to have the confidence to approach others first and this will
help strengthen my communication skills. I believe these skills will be learned through work
experiences and day to day living.
My Personal Development Plan
Skills Improvement
areas
Action for
development
Time scale
Communication Lack of confidence
with new people to
be able to
communicate in a
more formal
manner on all
occasions.
Approaching people
more often and
having friendly
conversations. Ask
questions during
lectures.
Outgoing
throughout the
course
Time management To finish work
efficiently and meet
deadlines
To make a timetable
with allocated times
for each task to have
a set amount of time
finish each task
2 weeks
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Coding skills To learn the basics of
coding and further
my knowledge
Finish tutorial
worksheets. Study
harder and research
more in my own
time.
Outgoing
throughout course
Focusing skills Losing focus when
trying to get work
done
Keep distractions
such as phones and
toys away Having a
quiet study space
1 week
Organisation
skills
Losing notes and
forgetting to
complete work
Keeping study space
tidy and making a
checklist of all the
things that need to be
done
1 week
Self-motivation To be able to
motivate myself to
get the highest
possible grade
Force myself to
attend every lecture
and tutorial on time.
Finish all tutorial
worksheets before
the deadline.
Research the subject
in my own time.
Ongoing
throughout course
Leadership skills Lack of
management
within the group and
being able to
distribute tasks
I will try to evenly
hand out tasks within
the group and
manage the group
better
2 weeks
Ramya - 2083209
Working in IT has been my dream since childhood, finally, I now have the chance to study it. I
am very pleased and interested in studying computer science at- UEL. Initially, I had my mindset
on being a Web developer, Frontend Developer, or Database Developer as I have some
knowledge about HTML, JavaScript, CSS, PHP, and MYSQL. However, I also want to explore the
field of software testing. I am excited to learn how developed software can be tested using
software tools. Some of the key skills needed for web development include strong
communication skills, numeracy skills, creative ability, excellent problem-solving skills, ability to
explain technical matters clearly, update new technology, passion, perseverance, patience, and
logical approach to work. Software skills are also very important for web development such as
HTML/CSS, JavaScript, analytical skills, design skills, interpersonal skills, Backend basics, and
Testing & debugging skills. Self-learning, I believe, is the most important skill to keep learning
technological updates and advancements.
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I believe I possess some software skills, mathematics skills, some writing skills, communication
skills, organisation skills, people skills, and I find it easy to learn new software skills. I do get a
little shy when first meeting people therefore I want to improve my communication skills. While
studying at UEL I expect to obtain all types of skills including the difficult ones. For example, I
would like to learn
problem-solving skills, design skills, analytical skills, etc. Other than UEL, I have been learning
new technology and software testing online.
My Personal Development Plan
Skills Improvement
areas
Action for
development
Time scale
Coding skills Already I have some
knowledge
about coding, but I
want to recap and
practice more.
Keep learning all my
free time, especially
holiday time.
Within six month I
want complete all
the basic coding
software
Time management
skills
To complete work
before deadline
To make
Timetable for each
work.
1 Week
Communication
skill
Listening, watching,
and speak clearly and
grammatically
Watch more
English movies, read
journal, articles and
feel free to speak all
6 months
Focusing skills Losing focus when
doing work such as
watching TV,
checking WhatsApp
chat
etc.
Keep my stud place
quiet and clean.
1 week
Self-motivation Keep motivate myself
and keep telling YOU
CAN
Keep achieve
100% attendance and
do my tutorial before
on time
All the four Year
Rashmi - 2082353
I spent a decade teaching back in my home country with no opportunity to study computing
due to lack of time, resources, and infrastructure. So, by joining UEL I am fulfilling my dream to
be a computer scientist. As an economics teacher, I realised that computing is a part of life and
is used a lot in teaching. I would like to be able to support students with course materials in
class as well as electronically online. I believed that a computer can support every aspect of
human life to make it easier and faster. I want to be a data scientist with computer
10

programming and software development skills. To excel in these fields, I must study languages
such as java and python. I would like to develop my problem-solving skills, coding skills, and
learn to be a team player. After finishing this course, I would like to become a computer science
teacher. I have mentioned my PDP in my SWOT analysis and created a solid long-term plan. This
PDP will support my development and help me track my progress further.
Vision: To be a computer professional/scientist
Mission: Achieve postgraduate level in computer science
Goal/objective: My immediate Goal/objective, will be a graduate in computer science
within four years’ time. This is a SMART goal for me because it is specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time assuring.
I have created a SWOT analysis which is the analysis of external and internal factors of failure
and success.
SWOT Analysis -
Strengths Weaknesses
1. Have Bachelor (BA) degree in
Humanities
2. Teaching experiences in Nepal.
3. Work experience at NHS UK
4. Intellectual family environment
5. Hard-working Commitment and
determination
1. Long gap college/student life
2. Financial shortage
3. Lacking Skills on Communication and
hesitate to question
4. Lacking Skills on Computing Lacking Skills
on Writing/speaking
Opportunities Threats
1. As a home student, I am getting
financial support from the
Government.
2. University is very close
3. Balance with Work and study
4. Availabilities devices and other
resources
5. Online module became popular
1. Pandemic became more server
2. Financial limitation
3. Frequently changing new technologies
Strategies to reduce the weakness, increase strength and utilize opportunities-
1. To speed up to reduce the gap in my student life, I must manage and schedule time for
more study.
2. To make sure about regular income, I must do a part-time job and reduce expenses as
well as renting a room
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3. Increase interaction with teacher/colleague and try to be proactive on classwork, group
work, and asking questions
4. Study English books, Communication skills, and watch English films.
5. Frequently use of computing, Browsing
6. More practice of English writing/speaking
Action plan
SN. Activity Time Modality Remarks
1. Time management
for study/practice
Asap start every day
at least additional
Through
computer/net/library
This is additional
time beyond
course
/homework etc
2. Maintain regular
income for financial
support
Immediate start till
complete the course
-At least work 16 hours in
weekend -Additional
work in term break
-Renting a room for
500/month
3. Interact proactively In regular classes,
group work,
classwork
-Lead the group -Raised
questions in class
-contact teacher
4. Develop English
language,
communication,
report writing
skills
Term break and in
spare time
-Skill development
trainings,
-watching English movies,
-online training program
5 More practice of
computer and
devices use
In class and other
additional time
-Practicing regularly
through online and
YouTube
6 Regular assigned
courses
As per the Uni
schedule
As per the Uni program
Evaluation
Organisation and time management is something that the team needed to keep in mind as they
are two skills that lead to a successful outcome. Furthermore, Coordination and cohesion are
important when studying. Another important aspect is good communication among the team
to ensure success.
These skills ensure that the task is completed efficiently and successfully. Overall, the team
worked well as we were able to complete the weekly tasks that we set. Although we did have
some difficulty balancing out the work of all our courses, we succeeded as a team in the end
and finished the report proficiently.
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In this module, we developed our teamwork skills and self-assessment skills. We were able to
work as a team and help each other overcome their weaknesses. Also, we were able to identify
our personal skills and evaluate the skills we need to reach our desired future. Overall, the
project was very eye-opening as we were able to self-reflect and learn more about ourselves
and our group members.
Conclusion
Based on our research there are many opportunities in IT. Coding, designing, problem-solving,
and mathematics are skills that are very common for all IT jobs. After years of continuous job
demands and salary growth across the IT sector in the UK, covid-19 has had a very big impact
leading to high job openings. According to the Forum et al., 2020 25% of the cybersecurity
sector is made up of women. All the members of our group have different interests regarding
job roles. Overall, we believe we are on the right path to achieve our goal.
References
● Lawrenceharvey.com. 2020. Cyber Security Engineer - Lawrence Harvey .
[online] Available at:
https://www.lawrenceharvey.com/job/cyber-security-engineer-21/?utm_cam
paign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=o rganic
[Accessed 11 December 2020].
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%20UK%20employment%20rate%20was,down%20on%20t he%20previous%20quarter.
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● (Ellen Daniel,2020, Tech in business, VERDICT, UK)
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● Tutch.co.uk. founded in 2013.Web developer -[online]Available at
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