There is a growing skills gap in the technology and engineering industry. Fewer young people are looking to pursue careers in this space with increasing barriers to entry and a lack of easily accessible information regarding the kinds of careers available. With the rise of new technologies, the skills that the workforce requires are evolving and the need for greater discourse between educators and employers to identify these needs is growing.
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Who’s going to do that? Bridging the Digital Skills Gap
This panel, hosted as a part of Bristol Technology Festival, discussed the skills gap and what organisations can do to support and encourage young people into STEM careers. It examined how the future of digital industries requires a generation of highly talented young people from all backgrounds.
Panellists from industry, education providers, current students and local authorities provided deep insight into the barriers and challenges faced, positive examples of progress and key calls to action for industry to begin shifting the needle and close the skills gap. Questions provided further reflections with additional areas to discuss and consider when closing the digital skills gap.
Insights from the Panel
Barriers to accessing digital, technology or engineering careers for young people
- Employer engagement: Lack of employer involvement at the secondary school or college level is making it harder for students to access digital careers, due to awareness.
- Misconceptions: Many young people have misconceptions about engineering and tech careers such as who these careers are for and what they involve.
- Entry-level Roles: There are limited entry-level positions and unclear pathways into these digital roles. This is bolstered by a lack of employer engagement meaning young people are unsure whether the route they wish to take will be suitable for a certain type of role or industry.
- Teacher Recruitment: There is increasing difficulty in recruiting qualified, specialist teachers e.g., Computer Science Teachers. Many non-specialists are currently teaching these subjects.
- Maths & English Attainment: Poor foundational skills, especially among underprivileged students, are hindering progress in digital skills and subsequently digital careers. There is a call for additional support here.
Challenges for Employers and Education
- Slow Adoption: Large organisations are slow to adopt the changes and cultural mindset required for training or introducing future digital skills.
- Focus on Present Skills: Partnerships exist to ensure the provision of current skills but there is little focus on future needs, particularly in emerging digital skills like AI/Robotics/Simulation
- Univerity Misconceptions: Digital technologies such as AI face misconceptions in technical university programmes e.g., concerns about GenAI and plagiarism. There is still work to do in educating people on the benefits that these technologies can bring to organisations.
Skills Required for the Future
- Transferrable skills: More emphasis on transferable skills like problem-solving, resilience and teamwork as it is felt, particularly amongst larger organisations, that technical skills can be taught later.
- Digital skills: Key skills needed include digital literacy, data analytics, robotics, project management, modelling and simulation, computing infrastructure architecting and programming.
- Most In-Demand Roles: Programmers, IT managers, project managers and engineers are critical in the industry.
Pathways and Accessibility
- Lack of Clear Pathways: Young people often don’t have a clear path into digital careers, highlighting the need for multiple routes and regional talent development.
- SME Challenges: Small businesses struggle to secure the resources required to train and develop young talent.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Additional Barriers exist for diverse and neurodiverse students, though programmes designed for these groups have shown positive results and should be considered by more organisations. There is a big pool of talent here to be unlocked.
Collaboration and Responsibility
- Employer-School Collaboration: Employers need to work directly with schools/colleges to ensure curriculums align with industry needs. There are existing frameworks and programmes to access in this space.
- Ongoing development: Continuous professional development (CPD) is essential for educators and long-serving industry staff to stay updated.
- Big Corporations’ Role: Large companies must take more responsibility in supporting educational efforts and strategic talent development. Organisations of all sizes have a responsibility to take an active role in supporting young talent, so how can we leverage the reach of larger organisations to support this goal?
Perception and Inspiration
- Inspiring Young People: Exposure to positive, diverse role models is critical – “What you can’t see, you can’t be”.
- Work Experience: A scaffolded approach to work experience (multiple encounters throughout school) is more effective than single-week placements. It also allows experiencing a greater breadth of career options.
- Parental Support: Parents need support and resources to understand the value of STEM careers, breaking down perceptions and showing alternative pathways other than university.
STEM Career Accessibility:
- Breaking Down Barriers: Industry must work to dismantle perceptions that STEM is only for highly technical or privileged individuals.
- Support for Students with Additional Needs: Employers must learn how to support neurodiverse students and those with additional needs, ensuring their access to digital careers.
Urgency for Action
- Industry at Risk: Without significant action, industries, and therefore the UK Economy, will struggle to remain competitive due to the growing digital skills gap.
- Employer Standards and Engagement: Businesses should engage with careers events, and education programmes, offering their time to inspire and guide young people. There is a wide range of resources and help available, however, there is a need for better signposting. This will have a positive impact on their use. Young people are the workforce of tomorrow.
The panel highlighted the complex barriers preventing young people from pursuing digital careers and the need for collaborative action from both educators and industry to address these challenges. A big thank you to our panel members for sharing their thoughts and experiences.