IT AND digital jobs in North Wales are being filled by people from the rest of the UK and not local talent which is going elsewhere.

That is the belief of Colwyn Bay and Bangor-based S2 Recruitment who have witnessed this trend.

Sian Shepherd, business manager, said: "We have the skills right here in North Wales but for some reason a lot of people have travelled to England and further afield for work, rather than applying for digital roles right here on their doorstep.

“This has become a significant issue, especially due to the coronavirus pandemic and more people than ever moving online, with S2 Recruitment helping to appoint people from as far away as London, Kent, Norfolk and even Scotland to take up positions in Gwynedd and Anglesey.

“That said, we are also aware there are skilled and experienced people from North Wales working nationally and internationally for global companies, so there is a crossover.”

“Research has also revealed there is a massive need for more candidates with Artificial Intelligence, robotics and cloud computing experience, and there is a disparity in the number of young women applying for roles.

“More than 80 per cent of the positions we have appointed to in the last six months have been filled by male candidates, the number of female applicants in this sector is low,” added Sian.

“This is where education is going to be key, we really need to see academia and the private sector work together to attract more youngsters into industries where there will be a better chance of a career for them, and to address the demographic challenges.

“It is a candidate-driven market right now, especially for those who are highly skilled, so it’s imperative this is capitalised on.”

A study by the Learning and Work Institute found that across the UK, one in four companies have a significant gap when it comes to basic computer skills. There has been a 40 per cent fall in school pupils taking ICT at GCSE level since 2015.