When it comes to choosing a career, people tend to go for what they know and overlook the opportunities in the technology sector, says Dr Chris Horn, chief executive of Iona Technologies, a major Irish software development company, and chairman of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.

"Because computing technology is relatively new - about 20 years old - parents and guidance counsellors may not be aware of the possibilities," he says.

People tend to regard the job of technician as a messy, dirty one, he adds. "Technicians working in the software and hardware manufacturing industries have a very different kind of job, which is equally exciting for both men and women."

Horn recommends that any young person interested in a career as a technician in the technology sector should take a look at the videos on the industry distributed to all second-level schools by Forfas last year. According to Horn, the Expert Group on the Future Skills Needs has identified an annual shortfall of 1,300 technicians over a five-year period - in other words, courses need to turn out 6,500 to 7,000 extra technicians between now and the year 2003. "We looked at the current rate of generation of technicians from college, at the immigration of technicians and at the demand side and the rate at which jobs are being created," he explains.

If you like challenging technical work, becoming a technician is a great opportunity, says Dave Young, managing director of Hewlett Packard. "For anyone who doesn't want to do a full engineering degree, it's a great alternative and, in the long term, they certainly can become engineers.

"The technician is absolutely vital to industry processes. Most companies locating here are doing high-tech assembly. They're operating with very sophisticated and complex equipment and technicians are the people who keep that equipment running and improve the capability of the equipment and processing."

Is the job of a technician limiting? "At Hewlett Packard, we have very intense ongoing training to keep technicians up to date in partnership with Tallaght IT and Intel," says Young. "Changes are happening all the time, which makes the job extremely interesting."

The Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, is also anxious to see young people becoming aware of the opportunities of technician careers. Jobs for technicians are many and varied, he notes, with excellent starting salaries and the opportunity to get extra qualifications and develop personally and professionally.

"Certificates and diplomas are extremely important in their own right," he says. "Very often they result in direct access for students into the workforce."

The jobs that technicians do when they qualify are different from the jobs graduates do, says Barry Macken, quality director for worldwide manufacturing at Analogue Devices, a high-technology electronic component company successfully manufacturing for the international market from its Limerick base for over 20 years. However, "at the upper level of the range after a few years experience, some technicians become indistinguishable from graduates."

It's an area in which women can do particularly well, he says. They are an untapped source which needs to be addressed. They are good at team work and have good analytical and personal organisation skills.

"People with diplomas can have very rewarding careers financially and professionally and in good companies they can progress without impediment." Employers will promote good people regardless of whether they have diplomas or degrees, says Macken. At Analogue Devices, some of the top engineers are diploma holders, he says.

Xerox is to create some 300 technician jobs over the next three years in Dundalk, Co Louth. "We have started recruiting engineers and managers," says human resource manager Chris Bell, "and we will be looking for technicians towards the end of the year."

Some technicians will be involved in production - in the assembly of highly complex equipment for example - while others will look after the plant's automated equipment. "It's not just servicing," Bell explains. "Very expensive highly automated equipment needs constant attention. They are managing the equipment and ensuring that it's performing to specification."

Promotional prospects are excellent. "We expect that a lot of the people who join us will grow with us. We will be very supportive of people who wish to improve their qualifications," he says.