CRG News
IT industry needs over 100,000 new recruits in 2011 (Tue Jan 11, 17:03)
The IT industry is set to grow five times faster than the average UK industry, requiring 110,000 new entrants this year to keep pace with demand, a report has found. The report by E-Skills UK, the sector skills council for business and information technology, said employment in the IT industry over the next 10 years will grow 2.19% a year - five times faster than other UK industries. This means 110,000 new recruits are required, with 17% of those entrants coming directly from education, said E-Skills UK. The research identifies some worrying trends, according to Karen Price, chief executive of E-Skills UK: "The proportion of IT and telecoms professionals under 30 has declined from 33% in 2001 to only 19% in 2010, as the sector increasingly favours experienced workers from other sectors over young recruits from the education system." She added, "There is a particular need for new types of development programmes that help young people move into IT roles and become productive more quickly, and for continued action to attract talent from all sources, particularly women." E-Skills predicted the UK economy could be boosted by £50bn over the next five to seven years by exploiting the full potential of the technology sector.
Car or Computer? How Transport is Becoming More Connected - Kabir Chibber (Fri Nov 10, 16:48)
Fiat is using software that tells drivers how to make better, and more fuel efficient, choices behind the wheel While few would blink any more at the sight of a Mini Cooper alongside their own vehicle, some may have noticed a few of their models out and about at the moment that are strangely quiet. And their silence masks some heavy-duty engineering under the bonnet. They are among the 612 Mini E cars being trialled in the US, UK and Germany since 2009. These plug-in electric models are leased to customers, and BMW - the owner of the Mini - is monitoring every aspect of the cars' use, in almost every scenario, as they are put through their paces. The amount of data that can now be collected about how drivers use their cars is unprecedented. And the impact of so much information is potentially huge. Imagine having your car post MoT reminders to your social networks, or share your location with friends, or prove that you were not responsible for an accident. A British company, Riversimple, has designed a range of tiny hydrogen-powered cars, which it will roll out in Leicester in 2012. They will collect every minute detail about how the cars are used. If the pilot goes well, they are already discussing ways of connecting the cars to social media, and sharing data about how the cars are used. "Drivers could play games to see who is driving the most efficiently," says Rosie Reeves, Riversimple's sustainability officer. Italian carmaker Fiat has been compiling data from the Blue&Me navigation systems installed on many of its cars over a six-month period. It may be the largest such data harvest done by a major carmaker. The degree of connectivity... will jump to a whole new level.” Suzanne Gray Mini "We can extract a number of data - on how the pedals are used, petrol consumption, braking," says Candido Peterlini, vice-president for product development at Fiat. It developed eco:Drive from the data collected from 420,000 car journeys of 5,700 drivers in five countries. Cars with this function allow the driver to download data about their journeys to a USB stick, which they can plug into their home computer. It will tell them how to improve their driving - for example, by changing gears less. Mr Peterlini says the plan is to make this response instant soon, via the on-board computer - so that a driver gets told how to improve their driving while they are cruising through town - and then integrate it into live traffic maps. "The plan is to tell you the most eco way to drive, by changing your behaviour, taking in traffic conditions and the structure of the road" such as how steep it is, Mr Peterlini says. It is not hard to see a future where the on-board computers get ever more sophisticated - such as personal profiles for a car, so the car's settings are individualised for each family member. The computer would adjust the seats, music, the suspension between sports and comfort mode, depending on which family member was using the car. All while telling each one how to be a better - and more fuel-efficient - driver. Fiat's data found that the British, for example, use the least fuel when driving and the Spanish use the most in Europe, whilst Spaniards also have the least efficient traffic system.
Buying Solutions Non Medical Non Clinical Resources Framework (Tue Nov 10, 12:00)
We are pleased to announce that Computer Resources Group has been appointed to the new Buying Solutions Non Medical, Non Clinical Resources framework (NMNC). The new framework agreement was launched on Monday 4th January 2010. Through this broad framework agreement you can hire temporary staff, interims and contractors throughout the public sector, from the most junior to the most senior, including board level roles. You can also recruit staff for fixed-term employment. Key benefits of using the service Quality worker-seekers – rigorous pre-placement checks Best practice procurement – best value for money Legislative compliance – with EU and UK regulations minimising risk of challenge Open Book Pricing where you can see exactly how much of your budget is being paid to the contractor. Over the past 15 years we have provided temporary and permanent IM&T staff, many with proven health service experience who understand the NHS culture, to more than 150 Trusts - from Acute and Primary Care Trusts, Health Informatics Services and Strategic Health Authorities to the Department of Health.