IT contractors have been urged to make the most of their time between placements by doing extra training.

With the jobs market only likely to get tougher as public sector spending cuts begin to take shape, anything that can enhance a contractor's CV is a worthy use of time, according to Peter Panayotou, senior consultant for The Write Stuff.

Last week, it was revealed that employers are currently having to review 69 applications per available vacancy.

With this in mind, Mr Panayotou said that any extra skills learnt can only be a good thing.

They can prove to employers that people are being proactive about bettering themselves and looking for work - particularly for IT contractors where the landscape is constantly evolving.

"It is good for employers to see you were doing something rather than just sitting around waiting for opportunities to come to you. Any skills you can add can't do any harm," he added.