There is a widespread ambition for the UK to be a leader in technology-enabled scaleups, and I agree. Many of the foundations for that ambition are in place, including large-scale capital. However, the primary constraint is people.
There is a long-standing skills crisis for digital and computing skills and the same overwhelming ratio of male students as 40 years ago when I studied it. Every job in every industry needs these skills now or will do in the near future: they are the new modern language.
To bridge this gap we should equip all of our young people with these computing skills to at least GCSE level. These skills will set them up to have good jobs for life, irrespective of the impact of AI, which will create as many jobs as it removes....