The UK is heading for a digital skills pandemic new research has shown

The UK is heading for a digital skills pandemic new research has shown.

With furlough recently coming to an end and people heading back to work, experts believe the digital skills shortage will be emphasised now more than ever.

People searching for digital skills courses on Google rose by over 100% when the first lockdown was announced and the same trend followed for each lockdown announcement throughout 2020 which clearly shows that people were concerned about their digital skills and this new survey confirms people are still worried.

In a shocking new study performed by educational charity and awarding body Ascentis, they found that 60% of people in the UK do not believe they have the digital skills necessary to be employable.

What is even more surprising is of those surveyed, 39% of 25 -34-year-olds do not believe they have the digital skills required for employment.

In March this year, NESTA, a think tank, warned that the UK is heading towards a digital skills shortage disaster which is already costing the UK billions of pounds, at a time when the job market is already under pressure. The study performed by Ascentis would back up those claims.

Since the pandemic struck, the requirement for digital skills has soared due to a large portion of the UK workforce forced to work remotely and needing the ability to perform their tasks via digital means.

TechUK, a technology trade association, collaborated with large tech companies earlier in the year to produce a report that focused on the UK’s current digital crisis. The report stated that large tech firms such as Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce are now calling for the Government to work with tech firms to open up new pathways for all people to access digital skills certifications with a proven track record on employability, supporting individuals from all backgrounds to succeed in digital jobs.

Figures shown on the government website say that 11.3 million people (21%) lack the full basic digital skills but the research performed by Ascentis show that these figures are most likely to be much higher.

The government website also goes on to say that 4.3 million (8%) have no basic digital skills at all and that 5.4 million working adults (10%) are without basic digital skills. People with a registered disability are 4 times as likely to be offline 28% of those aged 60+ are offline.