The UK tech industry is booming, with record levels of investment helping to create 76 new startups every hour and thousands of jobs. However, an acute shortage of potential employees with sufficient digital skills may jeopardise this momentum.
A shift towards more digital-first operations and practices initiated by the pandemic, such as remote working, has accentuated a pre-existing gap in digital skills. Research from Salesforce’s Global Digital Skills Index revealed that 80% of UK workers do not feel ready to operate in a digital-first world, with 43% stating they feel ‘overwhelmed’ by the rate of technological change.
A short supply of coders, despite coding being a highly sought skill for several organisations, is one example of this struggle for tech talent. At the same time, the cost-of-living crisis and refugee crises from places like Ukraine mean there are many disadvantaged communities who, for one reason or another, would consider a career in coding out of reach....