This document discusses challenges and opportunities around developing digital skills in the UK workforce. It addresses issues with perceptions of careers in tech, barriers preventing young people from gaining skills, the role of apprenticeships and universities, and the need for ongoing learning. It provides recommendations for government, businesses, schools, universities and individuals to help address these issues and improve digital skills across the UK population.

1. Maggie Philbin
CEO TeenTech
Chair UK Digital Skills Task Force

2. From TW to Bang Goes The Theory

5. The Focus
What can we do to help develop home talent for
the digital industries and for the growing IT
needs of all industry?

6. Perceptions We know careers in tech are still
misunderstood. How can we change this?
Schools and Colleges – What are the barriers
preventing young people gaining digital skills? How
can formal/informal education better support this?
What is the role for business?
Apprenticeships. How can we make it easier for
companies of all sizes to take on apprentices? What
would a really good apprenticeship in digital
skills/IT look like?

7. Universities. What can we do to ensure people
have a better chance of gaining the skills which are
actually needed?
Ongoing learning. How do we up skill the existing
work force - those in and out of employment? Can
we provide better opportunities for career
transitions, career pathways for all ages?

9. ‘Fancied Runners’
ZNets analysis of Gartners Hype Cycle – November 2014

10. What’s next?
Photo: pivot.com

11. “74% of business executives say their company
has a digital strategy, but only 15% feel they
have the skills and capabilities to execute it”
Forrester

12. Does she understand the
opportunities?
Cyber
Internet of
things

13. ….and what is really needed?
Creativity
Life long learning
Adaptability

17. The bad news …
• 23% of parents believe digital skills to be
irrelevant to their children’s future career
success.
• 18% of parents think employers do not care
about digital skills.
• 38% of parents admit they do not know
enough about the digital economy to help
their children make informed career choices.
O2 survey June 2014

18. The good news ….
• Social Encouragement
• Self-perception
• Academic Exposure
• Career Perception
Google 2014

20. Digital Skills for Life
• Government should invest in helping all the UK population
acquire basic digital skills by 2020, sharing the cost with
businesses and the charitable sector.
• Government should ensure job seekers are offered digital
skills training to help them back into the workforce.
• Government should mount an awareness campaign about the
need to improve digital skills among SMEs and charities. This
should include piloting of voucher schemes to access digital
skills training.
• Government should commission a major review of the
provision of lifelong learning for digital skills across the UK.

21. As a region …
• Regional groups should collaborate to
establish ‘dating’ websites
• This could be led by local enterprise
partnerships, councils or self-organising
collaborations.

22. What can I do as a company?
• Make tech roles visible and better understood
• Align your CSR with your company business
• Set up on-going relationships with local schools, colleges and universities to
provide work experience and work placements
• Alert to recruitment and retention
• Diverse board and senior management
• Quality apprenticeships – collaborating where necessary
• Ongoing training to keep skills relevant

23. As a school …
• Encourage all teachers to develop their digital
skills and understanding of contemporary
workplace
• Ensure work experience benefits every
student regardless of gender and background
• Promote all pathways that benefit the student
rather than the educator
• Promote cross curricular, project based work
• Review policy on digital devices

24. Digital By Degree
• Universities should focus on supporting students through their studies to
reduce unemployment levels amongst ethnic minority computer science
graduates.
• Government should fund the National Centre for Universities and Business
(NCUB) to work with other sector bodies to establish a matching website
to connect students with tech businesses across the UK.
• Government should work with universities and industry to expand the
number of tech sandwich years and summer placements undertaken by
students.
• Universities should offer students of all disciplines the opportunity to
develop their digital skills outside of their core subject through
employability awards and other schemes.
• University computer science departments should have active Industrial
Advisory Boards to help keep them updated with industry developments.

25. What can I do?
• Become a school governor
• Sponsor as well as mentor
• Volunteer with organisations like TeenTech,
Code Club, Apps For Good, Young Rewired
State
• Prepare for school visits – ongoing
relationships better than one-off