Job placements help IT students get onto work ladder

Research among 320 graduates questioned them about their degrees, skills and professions in order to identify and help tackle the challenges facing the IT industry in securing IT talent.

The research revealed that most (81 percent) of those who had done a placement year (a quarter of the total) felt the experience had prepared them for their IT career.

This compared to only 41 percent of graduates who had not taken a placement year either "somewhat or strongly agreeing" that their degree prepared them for their IT roles.

The research was conducted by recruitment firm Experis and IT jobs site CWJobs.com. Geoff Smith, Experis' managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: "We used to talk about the importance of a gap year abroad for a person's development but employers now also want work experience.

"A sandwich course equips students with the relevant skills and experience for work and employers are reassured that these candidates can more easily make the transition from university life to working life."