Given their role in the current transformation of advanced economies, information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer the promise of new business and employment opportunities along with higher productivity gains, but also make new demands on skills. OECD countries are thus confronted with the dual challenge of ensuring that the growth of new industries and activities is not stifled by labour bottlenecks and skill mismatches and that their population is equipped to master the basic IT skills which these transformations require. Despite recent claims of a widespread IT worker shortage, this study argues that although there is indeed some evidence of tightness in labour markets for particular categories of IT workers, the main issue of concern for policy makers and firms should be the gap between the skills of current and future IT workers and those sought by firms.

Both short- and long-term strategies can be implemented to address the rapidly changing skill requirements for ICT ...