It might be a good time to start job hunting, according to a new report which indicates the industry is facing a digital shortage.

The national report by recruitment agency Greythorn surveyed over 2,500 IT professionals across the nation to find strong job prospects existed for candidates with data analytics, security and web development skills.

More than half of those surveyed by Greythorn indicated high levels of job satisfaction and security in their current roles, citing flexible work arrangements as a key priority to sticking around. 

TasICT chief executive officer William Kestin said the results were in line with the current jobs climate in Tasmania. 

“The industry down here is worth around $2 billion a year and it’s grown 3 per cent during the course of the last financial year and it’s slated to grow again,” Mr Kestin said.

“There’s definitely been new companies both starting up in Tasmania but then also companies expanding and some companies relocating from the mainland and setting up in Tasmania.” 

A 2015 report by global research firm PwC Australia found $0.6 billion could be injected into the Tasmanian economy over 10 years if businesses make better use of mobile and internet technologies. 

It estimated 13,957 small businesses in the state could benefit from higher levels of digital engagement such as better search engine optimisation, online marketing and multiple digital technologies. 

Ionata Digital managing director Martin Anderson agreed the industry had faced recent challenges in sourcing candidates. 

“We need to promote the opportunities that are available in IT better,” he said. 

“As an industry we don’t do a good enough job of attracting women and that’s about demonstrating the industry isn’t all guys that there are fantastic roles for both.” 

Greythorn’s report found some of the top in-demand roles for 2016/17 were business analysts, project managers and security consultants. 

“I would say in Tasmania it’s less on the business development side and more on the security, the analytics, and the programming side, those are the jobs that are required more,” Mr Kestin said. 

“Many of our members (TasICT) are dealing both nationally and internationally, and so they’re not reliant on the Tasmanian economy as much as many of the jobs are,” he said.