Displaying items by tag: Candle

IT service management specialist FrontRange has promoted Steve Lindeman to the newly created position of Chief Customer Officer (CCO).

By the end of last year Australia had around 700 too many ICT managers, and 2,700 too few ICT professionals. It's the classic case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

Listed recruitment firm Clarius Group has issued a warning to the Australian Stock Exchange that its net profit after tax for the six months to the end of 2011 will fall in the range $1.2-1.4 million, well down on the previous comparable period profit of $2.4 million. The sharemarket didn't like the news one iota.

First the brutal stuff; if you're an out of work IT professional, you're probably not going to find the right job this side of Christmas and contractors should take what they can find. The flip side is you can relax and enjoy the summer - as long as you carve some time to freshen up the CV, line up good strong referees, polish up your soft skills and dry clean your suit ready for a February kick off.

It now seems safe to state categorically that courtesy of the economy and tumbling business confidence Australia's IT skills shortage is well and truly over and will stay so for the remainder of 2011 and well into the first quarter of 2012.

IT recruitment business Candle has announced the first of what is expected to grow into a network of South East Asian branches, with the opening of an office in Hong Kong. Initially intended to service existing clients in Australia looking for people for their Asian operations, the office will ultimately act as a conduit for Asian contractors wishing to work in Australia.

Jittery business sentiment is leading to an increase in demand for contract IT staff, as companies continue to shy away from increasing their permanent headcount, prompting 'ridiculous' fee spikes of up to 30 per cent in some areas of the IT skills market.

Demand for IT staff edged back into skills shortage territory during the March quarter as big bank projects and the NBN slow burn mopped up any excess capacity.

Anyone expecting the much vaunted IT skills shortage to lead to a salary surge will be profoundly disappointed as ICT salaries continue to stagnate in almost all geographies and across all positions.

IT recruiters have spent the first few weeks of the year spruiking IT skills shortages, and employers will be among the first to feel the effect. A survey released today by workforce specialist Chandler McLeod suggests that IT professionals now believe they can earn $175,000 a year as a result of the perceived shortages.

By the end of November demand for IT skills had risen 33.21 per cent on an annualised basis - well above the 26.85 per cent in the overall jobs market, suggesting it's time to finally break out some seasonal good cheer.

Recruitment company Candle has again called on the Government to revise the rules governing 457 visas, in order to allow recruitment companies to bring in skilled people from overseas, and bench them until a suitable position can be found. Only then will major IT projects such as the NBN, e-health initiatives and banking revamps be able to access skills when and where they need them.

The long anticipated IT skills shortage has re-emerged with a shortfall of 2,800 people recorded in the September Clarius Skills Index and signs that salaries have started to rise - in some cases by up to 20 per cent.

Hopes that the Canberra IT jobs market might reignite post election have been dashed by the capital's biggest IT recruitment agency which has warned it could be March before demand picks up if the election delivers a change of government.

Recruitment business Candle has kicked off its brand refresh which general manager Linda Trevor promised when she joined the firm 10 weeks ago, as it strives to reclaim the number one IT recruitment slot.

Clarius Group has appointed Linda Trevor as the new Executive General Manager of Candle ICT, the technology arm of the listed recruitment firm. Ms Trevor takes up the position formerly held by David Stewart, who unexpectedly left Candle in February after just 18 months in the role.

The musical chairs playing out in the IT recruitment game continue with former Candle CEO David Stewart reappearing at Clicks IT Recruitment and Peter Acheson being named CEO of Peoplebank Australia.

After being hung out to dry by the GFC triggered downturn, demand for IT skills is on the march, and with NBN Co predicted to enter the recruitment market in earnest from May, salaries are tipped to rise too.