I was quite taken aback with the recent news that the UK is facing a digital skill crisis because it has been estimated that around 12.6 million adults don’t have basic digital skills and 5.8 have never come in contact with the internet. This is the report by the Common Science and Technology Committee. In such a scenario, WYSI, a leading digital marketing agency in Berkshire and other digital agencies are playing an important role in country’s productivity and competitiveness which are being damaged because of the crisis.
The report blamed systemic problems and stubborn digital exclusion for the situation and insisted further that education and training should be addressed urgently. It also advocated that the digital strategy of the government should be published immediately.
The findings of the report are quite shocking. Here are some of them:
- Among the IT equipment used in schools, 22% is useless
- Just 70% of the computer science teachers required have been recruited actually
- Among the teachers of computer science, only 35% have a relevant qualification
- 90% of jobs need digital skills of some or the other type
- By 2017, the country will require 745,000 workers having digital skills
- Because of the lack of digital skills in general population, the UK’s economy is losing about £63 billion every year
The report appealed to businesses to invest better and more amount of training at every level of education.
The UK, a one-time leader of Europe in technological development, is facing a risk of lagging behind. The experts on the committee have therefore expressed an urge for ensuring that the workforce of the future, the young generation, is completing their education with the required digital skills.
Of course, the government spokesperson has assured that their Digital Strategy will be published soon and they will consider the Committee’s report and respond eventually.
What the Heck is Digital Skills?
It goes without saying that digital skills are the capability to use computers and other digital gadgets to access the internet. It’s also the capability to build software and critically assess media and also to navigate through the positive and negative elements of the internet and make educated choices about using the content.
WYSI is constantly delivering the best results for SMEs in the UK. Some of their many outstanding features are database development, tailored web applications, custom intranets, effective marketing strategies, responsive websites and matchless support.
