IT APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME

That this House notes with concern the increasing trend amongst banks that have received Government funding for sourcing more of their IT jobs overseas; expresses regret at the detrimental effect this is having on the UK skills base and the ability of new graduates to gain experience in the industry; calls on the Government to conduct a cost benefit study on the tax payers' interest as opposed to the short-term commercial advantage; further calls on the Government to introduce an IT apprenticeship scheme whereby graduates are supplied on a one year contract to Government projects to provide them with greater employment experience so that they can then be placed in the industry; and believes this would provide a long-term, repeatable, and sustainable mechanism to support the IT industry with skilled staff at a time when recovering companies are in need of a pool of IT expertise.