Digital Skills Gap

What is the digital skills gap

The gap between the demand and supply of workers with the digital skills sought by employers.

Why is there a digital skills gap?

There is a shortage of qualified digital professionals in the workforce, changes in the job role, industry standards that require re-training, or fast-moving trends. This is due to several factors, including the availability of digital skills programmes.

Statistics

• In 2017, the European Commission estimated that more than 1.2 million UK businesses are underperforming due to “insufficient digital awareness and lack of necessary skills”
• A 2022 workforce study highlighted an estimated shortage of 3.43 million cyber security professionals globally, up 25% from 2021

How can we fix it?

• Businesses need to invest in training their employees on new technologies
• Having a continued focus on integration of digital skills within other subjects
• Government policies that support the development of the digital workforce. For example, providing financial incentives for businesses to train their employees on new technologies