The UK IT industry has raised serious concerns over the worrying decrease in numbers of students taking formal ICT qualifications. Students taking ICT GCSE’s has dropped by 17% with IT related A levels dropping by 24% compared with last year, states computer weekly. This follows an increasing trend over the past five years. The IT professional workforce is forecast to grow at four times the average for the UK, and industry warn that current IT courses are not keeping up with the needs of business and do not engage technically savvy students. “At a time when computers are playing an ever more important role in our work and everyday lives, we should be able to encourage more, not fewer, students to learn how to create with technology. It's a sad loss that we're missing this opportunity,” said Dr. David J. Harper, head of university relations at Google EMEA. To read more visit http://www.techeye.net/business/uks-it-sector-may-suffer-as-students-ditch-computer-courses#ixzz0xcBthF5u