Blog

Software engineering and programming uptake is on the rise

In a country where there are frequent reports of the engineering skills gap, it is refreshing to hear when there are parts of the STEM world that are seeing a rise in uptake throughout the UK. Sam Holland discusses two fields of the industry that are collectively growing in popularity: programming and software engineering.

How large is this rise?

The number of programmers and software engineers (referred to from now on as ‘the demographic’) in the UK has with just one exception in 2017 when there was a minor drop in the upward trend been rising steadily in the United Kingdom ever since 2011. As the below graph from Statista shows, the last decade has seen a rise from approximately 224,000 in 2011 to 465,700 in 2021.

This means that the last ten years or so have seen the demographic more than double from an already sizable proportion. The next section considers why this upward trend has been so significant and consistent over the last decade.

Why has this upward trend occurred in the demographic?

One answer to the above question may be obvious to many: the COVID lockdowns that began in 2020 meant that there was a significant demand for the creation and maintenance of new software to accommodate the rise in ‘shelter in place’ orders, such as video call systems and remote working equipment. This is especially evident in the fact that the above graph sees the biggest yeartoyear increase from 2020 to 2021: 57,700(dramatically larger than the second largest rise, which was the 49,000strong leap from 2017 to 2018). It is refreshing, however, to note that the increase in physical distancing appears to have been a catalyst (rather than a fundamental game changer) for what was an already steady increase in the demographic.

This is why at least one other factor must be considered in the software employment landscape. That factor, based on research from indeed.com, appears to be a largely technological one: digital innovation is ascending astronomically, and this is driving demand from all manner of companies who wish to keep up with the changing times. What’s more, the complexity of software projects is also on the increase, and this means that there is not just a rise in the interest of software engineers and programmers, but a rise in the number of professionals needed for each project.

Taking stock of the growing demands

Gone are the days when companies could hire a handful of dedicated programmers and software engineers for various software systems inhouse. The demographic is seeing higher demand for skilled hands than ever before, many of which can be carried out remotely. This is a golden opportunity for members of the demographic who wish to take on freelance projects, and above all, yet another career development opportunity that should be considered within modern engineering education.

Tags: