The UK must attract more women into the IT industry or suffer economic consequences such as loss of productivity and skills shortages.

Research by analyst Forrester reveals that UK businesses are shutting the door on half of the country’s future IT talent by not encouraging more school-age girls into the profession.

According to Forrester, more than three quarters (76%) of 11 to

18-year-old girls claimed to be interested in computers, but only 43.2% said they would consider a career in IT.

Government figures have also revealed girls get less and less interested in computers as their education progresses.

In 2003, 41% of girls took GCSE computer studies, but at A-level this dropped to 36%. At degree level, just 20% of computer science undergraduates were women.

“We need to grow the number of women in IT, otherwise the UK’s leading position in the IT world will be severely threatened,” Margaret Moran MP told a round table discussion organised by technology company Toshiba.

Hiring more women is vital to staving off the threat from the emerging IT powers in Asia, she said.

Maggie Berry, director of job site Womenintechnology.co.uk, said girls are not aware of the career benefits of working in IT.

“Women make up 50% of the working population – we are missing out on a huge amount of the available talent,” she said.

“They aren’t aware of how well-paid IT jobs are – within three years of graduation, you can be paid £60,000 being a Java developer.”

The website aims to promote IT as a career option for women by showing the range of jobs available.

Some IT firms are even looking to recruit art students to develop attractive-looking websites and programmes, she said.