In news which may be uncomfortable to small businesses in IT looking for talent in the future, the number of people sitting computing A-levels has dropped by 20 per cent during the year, it has been reported.

According to Computing magazine, the course was found by the Joint Council for Qualification to have fallen for the fifth consecutive year, showing only 3,999 sitting the exam this summer, compared to 5,068 in 2008.

In regards to the ICT examination, only 9,376 sat the A-level - a drop of 23 per cent on the 2008 figure, a year which saw 12,277 people taking the test.

The trend had been previously highlighted by an Ofsted report, Computing added, which outlined: "Less than one-quarter of IT graduates are women. This has serious implications for the IT industry, where just one in five workers is female."

Statistics surfaced today, when students around the country received their results, with one in four passes being at grade A.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).