A range of new computing courses is to be launched at the Chelmsford campus of Anglia Ruskin University to meet booming demand for IT skills.

The courses, due to start in September, will include BSc (Hons) Software Development, MSc Cloud Computing and MSc Cyber Security.

Antony Carter, deputy head of the department of computing and technology at Anglia Ruskin, said: “Following concerns from the Government and the IT profession that there’s a shortage of suitably qualified IT graduates in coding, we’ve worked with both national and local employers to make sure our courses are tailored around what they need.

“Students from the BSc Software Development degree could go on to work in a range of areas including business IT applications development and support, general IT systems support roles, core business database development and management, application programming and web development.

“Our new Masters courses focus on specialist sectors that require specific knowledge and training. Computer security is a fast-moving area and by developing skills in computer, network and information security, graduates could go on to work with lawyers, government, commercial organisations, as well as the finance and e-commerce sectors and national security organisations.”

He added: “The 2015 Global Information Security Workforce Study predicts that the global cyber security workforce shortage will reach 1.5 million by 2020, as demand outstrips supply, so there’s a clear need for talented graduates with these skills.

“Meanwhile Cloud Computing is a relatively new sector, which means that a graduate’s knowledge and skills could put them at the forefront of the industry.

“There’s a clear demand for experts who can advise managers on the suitability of each type of cloud service and their potential pitfalls, as well as those who are able to design and implement such systems, whether privately or publically managed.”

For further details of the new courses, visit www.anglia.ac.uk/computing or call 01245 493131.