As jobs disappear around the nation, IT professionals in Canberra should be quietly confident that their Government will still need them.

That's the message from market outlooks issued by IT recruitment agencies Peoplebank and Link Recruitment last week.

Link said emerging demand for highly integrated enterprise solutions, growth in ''green tech'' solutions in response to the proposed emissions trading scheme, rising corporate demand for gaming and social networking technologies, the need for virtualisation solutions, and expected implementation of the National Broadband Network would underpin demand.

'While a short-term decline in demand for IT skills is anticipated as a result of economic conditions, a quick return to skills shortages is expected once conditions stabilise,' Link said.

'It is predicted that national ICT skills shortages will grow by 29 per cent by the year 2010 to just over 14,000 jobs, based on current policy settings in relation to education and skilled migration.'

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