The number of skilled positions for employees in the British IT sector will increase over the next five years, a new report predicts.

Forecasts published for the industry by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (cebr) indicate 2011 may see sharp increases in the industry's workforce.

According to a report by the body, an estimated 93,000 IT services positions may be generated between 2011 and 2015.

Job creation in the industry is expected to lead employment trends over the coming years, with an annual growth rate of 5.1 per cent anticipated.

Chief executive of the cebr Douglas McWilliams remarked that some sectors are likely to witness a difficult few years in terms of the number of roles being created, but growing use of external procurement is likely to fuel IT workforces.

With demand for people to fill IT jobs in the UK expected to grow, bosses could struggle to find suitable candidates as a report by the Institute of Directors recently warned 60 per cent of respondents to a poll claim growth is being held back by problems attracting suitable talent.

Posted by Kate Griffin