Empowering Businesses’ Digital Transformation: More than a Virtual Reality #FutureofEducation

Tech Nation 2018 reports that the tech industry is expanding 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy.

Digital transcends traditional industry boundaries; pervading all sectors from business to manufacturing. This increased use of digital technology to streamline, innovate and increase opportunity and productivity means a rising demand for employees with strong digital skills.

According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, 45% of UK jobs are currently classed as digitally-enabled or digital tech jobs, requiring a working knowledge of digital skills, and that figure will continue to rise exponentially.

Benefits for business

Businesses who embrace digital and have access to the right skill sets can bring together people, data and processes to create value for their customers and maintain a competitive advantage. Digital transformation can improve your profitability, customer satisfaction and increase speed-to-market.

Digital technologies offer adaptability and cost effectiveness by simply changing your programs without additional changes in hardware.

Digital marketing benefits businesses of all sizes by giving access to the mass market at an affordable price.

Digital communications (including cloud technology) transcend distance, making the world your virtual office.

By re-evaluating practices and operations through a digital tech, business leaders and their employees can be empowered to make decisions and embrace continuous quality improvement.  

In short, digital is making our business world smaller: you do not have to change your geography to change your local or global footprint.

Digital development for Devon and Cornwall

The benefits for remote locations like the South West are clear to see, but the vast majority of our region’s businesses aren’t fulfilling their digital potential.

Our leadership needs a support network to help grow, sustain and diversify their organisation’s digital skills set. We need employees who are creative thinkers, who are continuously learning and able adapt to the evolving digital world.

Tech Nation found that in 83% of digital hubs, the tech community cited access to talent as their biggest challenge. With much of the industry’s focus on major tech clusters like London, South West companies don’t just struggle to recruit but also to retain their digital talent.

One solution is to grow your own talent through digital Apprenticeships. Recruiting or training existing team members in the latest technical developments through the Apprenticeship scheme, allows companies to access the associated financial benefits and the support of a dedicated training provider.

Alongside our excellent Apprenticeship offer, we have a range or training solutions. From recognised qualifications to bespoke training packages, City College Plymouth can work with individuals and businesses to provide the skills and ongoing support they need for a sustainable, digital future.

Our training offer is also shifting to accommodate the latest tech developments in virtual reality, artificial intelligence and e-commerce.

Mark Trewin, Director of Creative, Digital & Science Industries, City College Plymouth