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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
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