What do employers know (that we don’t)?
Published: Tue 7 Feb 2023
Published: Tue 7 Feb 2023
The Skills for a Digital Future survey report provides insight into the future skills the UK will need to ensure businesses can be agile and responsive to change.
The research found:
To ensure the right skills are in place to maximise the opportunities offered by future technologies, we included recommendations in the report across three areas: Government, Industry and Partnerships.
These include:
Skills training in the technology sector requires sustained support, with training treated as a long-term investment in the future rather than a short-term fix. Support could be aimed at small and medium enterprises, who often face challenges in training employees. We’re calling for government to make the apprenticeship levy more flexible.
Leadership in industry needs a broader understanding of the rewards a digital strategy can bring, regardless of sector. Industry requires agile thinking skills to deliver on digital strategy.
Institutes of Technology (IoTs), amongst others, could be involved in partnerships to complement in-house training. Digital skills could be built up using micro-credentialing and professional registration.
The good news is that the bulk of engineering employers (87%) are proactive in equipping their staff with the skills they need.
On-the-job training is offered by 70% of employers, while in-house development programmes, online learning and formal qualifications are promoted by half (51%) of employers.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology commissioned YouGov to run a survey assessing the UK’s digital skills gap, its impact on employers, and potential solutions to the challenge. The results show that there is a digital skills gap in the technology sector, and that this is having a serious impact on business according to engineering employers. Fortunately, these employers believe their workforce is agile and offer solutions to the gaps.