The Tech Skill shortage and how you can use it to your advantage
Technology and digital skills are a necessity in today's modern working world, as clearly demonstrated by the last two years of working from home during Covid. Even the government has begun to acknowledge the digital skills gap, with the House of Lords calling for IT to become a third core subject, alongside Maths and English. So why is the UK suffering from a lack of digital skills?
What is causing the issue?
The rapid progression of technology and the rate at which the way we work is partly to blame. Because there has been such a boom in roles that require digital skills the UK is falling behind when it comes to the training of these individuals. It is estimated that the UK is missing around 750,000 people with digital skills, which could potentially boost the UK economy by £12 billion. Alongside this, around half of all British IT teachers do not hold an IT or tech-related qualification beyond A-Level, potentially causing the lack of digital training to start at a young age.
As well as this, a survey was recently conducted among several marketing agencies and other firms to establish how digital skills affect their business. Only 43% of the companies surveyed said that digital knowledge was good or very good within their business, and 61% of these companies said that training their employees to gain digital skills was of low importance within their organizations.
But it's not just lack of training that has caused the digital gap. As with any industry, employee satisfaction is a key factor in talent retention. A Digital Leadership report, produced in partnership with MIT, found that 80% of digital leaders find employee retention is more difficult post-pandemic, potentially due to a change in the employee's priorities, which is backed up by the fact that 41% of these employees are unhappy with their salary/working conditions.
How can you benefit from the digital gap and future-proof your career?
The digital gap is exactly that, a gap in the market that you can use to your advantage in your career. So how can you make sure you use that gap to your benefit? Here are some tips for future-proofing your digital skills:
Make sure you are open to change
Become tech-savvy
Expand and hone your skillset
Expand on your “Soft skills” too
Consider creating a portfolio alongside your traditional CV
Grow your network
Know trends within your industry
By making sure that you’re on top of your digital skills and that your knowledge is up to date, you are automatically at an advantage, potentially putting you above other candidates and possibly allowing you to progress further and faster.