The revelation comes from a study conducted by StandOut, which surveyed 17,815 entry-level job advertisements across the UK to shed light on some of the barriers faced by job seekers aiming to enter the tech sector. 

The findings reveal that just over half (52%) of the ‘entry-level’ tech positions demand prior professional experience. In addition, the sector has a large international pool jockeying for positions, meaning landing an entry level job in the sector without prior experience is becoming an increasingly difficult feat. 

The researchers found that IT technicians and junior software engineers stand atop the list of roles most likely to require prior experience, with figures at 62.8% and 60% respectively. The analysis found that, despite the barriers to entry, IT technicians are offered entry-level salaries significantly below the UK average. 

On average, across the analysed roles, 37% of ‘entry-level’ positions stipulated the necessity of prior working experience, with an average experience requirement of 2.5 years.

This is on the backdrop of the UK tech industry facing skills shortages. According to a report from digital talent platform Gigged.AI, 34% of UK-based organisations are experiencing large to internal tech skills shortages — with this rising to 49% for firms in the IT sector.

Confronting the issue, Forbes Advisor asked 500 businesses what they thought the issue was, to which 42% said fast paced tech advancements, 41% said lack of training opportunities, 37% from the lack of relevant educational programmes, and 35% saying the issues stem from the competition in the jobs market. 

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“The scarcity of skilled candidates and the number of opportunities in these sectors make recruitment and retention of staff a demanding task,” read the analysis in Forbes Advisor. 

All of this has a domino effect on the mental health of the existing employees. Gigged’s report points out that 92% of people reported feelings of work-related stress, and 62% cite tech talent shortages as the cause, because more than half (52%) of those respondents are experiencing an increased workload.

“The UK needs to adopt a more systematic approach to supplying that talent, with a joined-up policy across schools, universities and colleges, retraining support to convert from other disciplines, immigration and a lifelong learning programme,” said Mark Logan, the chief entrepreneurial advisor to the Scottish Government.

“Without that we are choosing to limit our economic strength well into the future.”