A shortage of people with the right skills, inflated contracts and managers struggling to cope: it sounds like a sector in crisis. But these problems are the results of the communications industry's rapid success and are well known to its leaders.
The law of supply and demand guarantees that a highly popular and important aspect of next week's TMA Convention at Brighton will be the Comms Skills Fair. Last year's event attracted more than 6,000 jobseekers and this year an extra 1,000 are expected to pass through the turnstiles looking for new opportunities. The fair, described as the UK's only careers forum for data, voice and image professionals, sets out to attract the finest potential recruits with a series of free attractions including a CV clinic where a consultant and career coach will offer one-to-one advice sessions. Visitors will be given tips on CV content, layout and design, as well as pointers to making a first-class first impression when applying for jobs.
The cyber centre, in particular, is expected to attract Internet surfers keen to learn more short cuts and to browse through the latest job vacancies on www.commsjobsearch.com. Lucy Van Renselar, marketing executive at Nexus Media, the fair's organisers, said: "A number of computers will be connected to the Internet, so that visitors can contact their offices by e-mail, check whether they have any e-mail waiting and browse through the latest job vacancies."
A new company plans to take advantage of the facilities and attendance to launch an online recruitment service at the fair on Monday. Commserve will unveil its site www.commserve.co.uk which is intended to provide the quickest and easiest access to the widest range of contract and permanent opportunities.
It will incorporate a database of candidates for agencies to use, and technology that e-mails candidates when a suitable vacancy is posted by an agency. "It will be the place for recruitment agencies to find staff for clients and where candidates can access all the jobs available without making dozens of calls," says Richard Wood, sales director.
"It is necessary because of the skills shortage in the telecoms industry. As business has boomed, companies have discovered they lack sufficient skilled staff in-house and are buying people on three to six-month contracts, which are often extended and lucrative."
He predicts that the site's database could eventually contain as many as 20,000 names and, initially, specialists in switching, transmission and wireless engineering will be the most sought after. "The need to access the Internet, establish networks and new ways of communicating means that existing phone systems cannot cope with the traffic so extra switching and transmission gear is required," he says. "This creates opportunities for companies, but they do not have the staff to capitalise without recruiting."
Contract staff are facing a threat to their high earnings, however, because of a new Inland Revenue directive, IR35. But help will be at hand. Representatives from the Association of Technology Staffing Companies will host a forum next Tuesday to discuss the implications of the proposed tax law for employers, recruitment consultants and staff.
Barry Roback, managing director of JSA Accountancy Services, who will be taking part, said: "Under the new rules, contractors will not be as well off as they are now. But contractors get paid more than permanent staff and the advantages will still make contracting attractive."
He predicts that when IR35 is first implemented it may lead to contractors seeking work overseas, but that the demand for their services will remain great enough in Britain for "some very, very attractive packages to be offered."
