Employers from the Tech Partnership have welcomed a major report published this week on the UK’s Digital Future.
The report, from the House of Lords Select Committee on Digital Skills is the outcome of a six-month enquiry into competitiveness and skills in the UK, specifically looking at how ready the UK workforce is for the rapidly changing digital workplace.
Key among the Committee’s findings are an urgent requirement for industry input into the further education system (paragraph 125) and the importance of employer trust in qualifications that can only be achieved through industry-endorsed standards.
The centre-piece recommendation of the report is a call for the government to develop an ‘ambitious Digital Agenda’ for the UK. This agenda would include making substantial improvements to the integration of digital skills into our further education system.
The Committee say that these improvements should, be kick-started by an employer-led review of further education offerings, to be conducted by the Tech Partnership.
The Committee also encourage the government to recognise the importance of technology to the UK’s economy by appointing a Cabinet Minister responsible for driving the Digital Agenda across all departments.
Tech Partnership CEO, Karen Price, said: “It is vital for the UK economy that new entrants into employment possess the skills that are relevant to the ever-changing digital workplace. By working together through the Tech Partnership, business can help deliver real improvements into the standard of further education, and insure that it meets the skills needs for the jobs of tomorrow.
“Employers are already, through the Tech Partnership, working together to recognise Tech Industry Gold standard apprenticeships, and collaborating with government to deliver the first ever Degree Apprenticeships. By inviting an employer-led review of the entire further education system, the Committee is encouraging those successful models to be enshrined throughout all accreditations and qualifications. We firmly believe that doing so can only be a positive for delivering a skilled digital workforce able to put Britain at the forefront of the digital revolution.”
The Tech Partnership is a growing network of employers, collaborating to create the skills to accelerate the growth of the digital economy. The Tech Partnership is recognised by government as the Industrial Partnership for the Information Economy. It is supported by, and is taking forward, the work of e-skills UK. Visit www.thetechpartnership.com for more info.
The full report can be downloaded from the parliament website.