How do we solve the digital skills shortage? 🤔

##Introduction to the report

A few days ago, I saw an article posted on the BBC website that looked into some highlights of a recent report by the Learning and Work Institute on the digital skills gap. The report is worth a read, and I've had some time to think on how to approach and solve this issue.

The report mentions some alarming statistics, like this one:

participation in IT subjects at GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have declined in every year since 2015. The number of GCSE entries in computing or information and communication technology (ICT) declined from 147,000 in 2015 to 88,000 in 2020, a drop of 40%.

Which is worrying!

However...

This decline is largely explained by the government’s attempt to phase out the ICT GCSE, which was seen as insufficiently rigorous or valued by employers, and to replace it with the more challenging computer science GCSE. However, while computer science entries have more than doubled since 2015, the increase has not made up for the fall in the number of pupils taking ICT.

Ah right, the ICT curriculum was replaced in 2012 with a new Computer Science one. So the drop in the number of people taking ICT at GCSE can be explained, but the subject of computing still remains unpopular - which isn't good.

But there is good news in the number of people taking computer science courses in higher education:

The number of people starting an undergraduate degree in computer science across the UK increased by 17% between 2014/15 and 2018/19, with the number of people starting a postgraduate degree increasing by over half (55%). The increase at both undergraduate (25%) and postgraduate (69%) has been faster for female students.

Which is good news! Although the growth in the number of people taking the subject is slow, at least it's increasing each year.

And it's also good that young people are acknowledging that digital skills will play an important role in their careers.

Nearly nine in ten (88%) of young people say that digital skills will be essential for their career.

The report goes into detail that basic digital skills is now considered an essential skill, which is something I completely agree with, but what's important to note that advanced digital skills are in higher demand than ever before.

A recent survey conducted by CBI in 2019 found that three in five (58%) of employers expected they would need significantly more advanced digital skills in the next five years (CBI and Tata 2019).

And employers are feeling the impact of this demand

24% of employers say they struggled to recruit workers with the basic digital skills that they need, while 41% have struggled to recruit workers with the advanced digital skills that they need.

And young people aren't confident that they have the advanced skills that employers need

The majority – 62% – of young people say they are very confident that they have the basic digital skills that employers need. However, just one in five (18%) of young people say they are very confident that they have the advanced digital skills that employers need.

Another interesting piece of data from report is where the jobs that require digital skills are located:

Demand is higher in the capital both for basic digital skills and advanced digital skills. Three in four (76%) employers in London said that basic digital skills were very important for their workforce, compared to just over half of employers in the Midlands (56%) and the North (55%). Similarly, a third (34%) of employers in London said that the majority of their workers required advanced digital skills, compared to one in five (22%) in the North and the Midlands.

London continues to be popular for roles which require digital skills. I feel that more of these roles should be available outside of London, not everyone can afford the high rent or the cost of commuting.

Important Note - advanced digital skills is defined in the report as good knowledge across a range of digital skills, as well as in-depth specialist knowledge in one or more area such as computer aided design, coding, specialist digital software etc (Kipster 2018)

So people know and understand the need for digital skills, but the challenge is training people with the skills that employers want.

This comes to the big question...

##How do we solve the digital skills shortage?

I've had some time to think of some draft ideas and also think on what the report mentions as barriers that people face.

Address digital poverty

This is something that does need to be addressed urgently. The pandemic has shown that there are people who don't have access to a device. In fact, the report mentions that one in ten young people lack access to a digital device.

So, how can we solve this problem?

• Businesses donate funds and devices - buying multiple computers isn't cheap. And since people are learning remotely now, the importance of having a machine that can do what you need is incredibly important. This is where businesses around can donate funds and devices to people who are in need of a computer.
• People donate unwanted/unused devices - if you have a computer that isn't used anymore, consider donating it to someone who would benefit from it. Make sure to wipe your data from it first!
• Government scheme to get people a computer - not everyone can afford a computer, and there might not be enough donated computers for everyone. This is where the government should cover the cost of a computer for those who are unable to afford one and need one.

Put digital skills in the spotlight

It's a bit weird to suggest this since the idea has been done before with 'Year of Code' (yes, the one which had the car crash interview) but hear me out!

What I imagine is the following:

• A TV show that highlights different digital skills and shows people how to get started, gives tutorials and answers questions from viewers.
• Magazines dedicated to software development and other digital skills. I know there are some PC based magazines and others dedicated to Photoshop etc - but I'd like to see a magazine that looks at software development for those who are new and those who are looking to add to their existing knowledge.
• Conferences dedicated to digital skills that are aimed at anyone, across all skill levels, to attend, learn and connect with others.

Reform the Computing curriculum that meets the needs of employers The computing industry is always changing. What I was taught at University and school would be considered outdated (especially since I was taught under the old IT curriculum at school). The education sector should review what's being taught in schools every few years to ensure that it's modern and what employers need.

After school clubs dedicated to learning digital skills There are plenty of people in the UK who are passionate about digital skills, and if we can get those people into schools to host after school clubs that teach digital skills that would allow students to learn valuable skills that can be used in the workplace.

Employers to offer workshops in digital skills that are open to anyone who wants to learn. If employers are struggling to hire, then they should open their doors and offer free lessons in the digital skills they need. Employers can look for potential new hires and people learn new skills to help them in their careers. It's win-win!

These are only a few ideas I had after reading the report. I strongly suggest reading the report, it gives a good insight into the situation and it can only be resolved if everyone works together.