Applications for mid-level IT vacancies dropped 22% in Q3 2011 compared to the same period the previous year, according to IT recruitment consultancy IntaPeople.

There is a particular shortfall in areas such as C# and Java developers and business analyst roles, and IntaPeople says young workers need to enter the sector to plug the gap.

Stephen Riley, sales director at the company, says: “This is of great concern to UK businesses. We might have a lot of talent at the very top, but mid-level workers are generally the ones responsible for turning strategy into action.

“It may seem unfeasible that, with almost one million young people currently out of work, companies are still struggling to fill certain vacancies. Unfortunately, this is exactly the position we find ourselves in because there is complete disconnect between what is being taught and what employers are actually looking for.”