The number of students taking up computer science degrees at university continues to rise, UCAS has reported, spelling out a brighter future for small businesses in IT looking for consistent employees.

Despite a drop in the number of students taking up A-Levels and GCSEs in IT or other computer-related subjects, computer science is still prioritised by a number of people who identify the skill as one that is increasingly important in today's modern world.

However, more people are applying for university - perhaps due to the current economic climate - with a 5.6 per cent rise in applications.

Commenting on this trend, acting chief of UCAS Virginia Isaac said: "This year has been unprecedented in many respects. Significantly increased applications and far more students are being accepted at a university or college than ever before.

"In particular we have seen a notable increase - of 10.1 per cent - in acceptances of students aged 25 and over."

During August, UCAS reported the fastest processing speeds in its history, in turn allowing it to get through more applicants during the months leading up to the start of the new school year.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent).