Female freelancers and IT contractors may be interested to know that the director of womenintechnology.co.uk has spoken out about the UK's digital industry, saying it is "ridiculous" that the country is falling behind other nations.

Encouraging young people into IT is a "huge project" that needs a big push to succeed, according to the website's director Maggie Berry.

"The government needs to be properly behind it and looking at organisations such as e-skills ... We really should be at the forefront of these kind of industries," she commented.

Ms Berry went on to say that many young people may be discouraged by the perception that IT jobs are being outsourced to other countries such as India and Russia.

The Council for Industry and Higher Education this week urged "far-reaching changes" from the coalition government to ensure that the UK is seen as a leader in the digital and IT industries.