Xilinx, an Edinburgh University spin-out, underlines IT sector skill shortages in the UK.

Chip maker Xilinx has said that it is struggling to recruit UK IT sector workers for its Edinburgh base.

The firm, which started life as a spin-out from Edinburgh University in 1989, said that it was forced last year to recruit graduates from Europe after failed attempts to draw staff from the local university population.

Despite high demand from the telecommunications sector for Xilinx’s products, the firm said that its inability to recruit from inside the UK highlights a skills shortage in the UK IT sector.

Now looking to add a further 5 posts, Colin Carruthers, Scottish head of Xilinx, said: “These are more senior-level posts, but it is the same story. All of the serious interest and all of the offers that we have on the table so far are for people from outside the UK – not even just outside of Scotland.”