Britain is facing an in-formation technology skills crisis that could leave the country unable to compete internationally in as little as 10 years' time, according to research published today.

Far from having too many unemployed IT professionals in the country, employers are struggling to fill technology-related vacancies. A study of more than 3,200 companies, undertaken by E-skills UK, the industry body representing IT, telecoms and contact centre employers, and Gartner Consulting found that more than one in three employers had difficulties finding candidates for IT jobs.