Call for Evidence, UK Digital Skills Taskforce
12 May 2014
12 May 2014
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Call for Evidence, UK Digital Skills Taskforce
1. Which digital skills are most urgently needed? What are the digital skills that will be
needed in the future?
BT’s skill requirements are primarily in software and network management. Our apprentices work
towards developing skills in these areas, achieving relevant qualifications. This provides us with a flow of
software developers and programmers and network-control engineers to manage our global networks.
We have two new skill requirements emerging that have been identified as a gap in current training:
multi-media/multi-application skills and cyber security.
We are working with e-skills UK, the sector skills council for business and information technology,
developing new educational frameworks for both areas, with cyber security being considered for
inclusion into school curriculums to meet the gap in computer security understanding. The skill shortage
in programming and software engineering is forcing us to diversify our traditional recruitment methods
and we are now looking more for attitude, aptitude and general skills onto which we can overlay the skills
missing from general school/college teaching.
2. How can perceptions of digital careers be improved? How can we help students, parents
and teachers better understand the breadth of opportunity and the different entry points?
School engagement to influence the curriculum for computer science is probably the best way forward;
this will bridge the gap between what is seen as important to the IT user, ie, the ability to use software
packages, versus the ability to write user programs.
There is a lack of awareness as to what ‘computer and digital skills’ means in general. However, the
diversification of communication applications combined with social and business use of technology
means the skills required can now be seen in almost all parts of business, as well as in leisure time. It is
through this phenomenon that parents and students alike could, to an extent, develop better IT/digital
skills without really noticing that this happening.
3. What responsibility do businesses have in helping to improve digital skills across every
age group?
Businesses share this responsibility along with government and the charity and education sectors.
There are very good initiatives such as STEM/STEM NET to encourage young people into the sector,
especially women where there is a reluctance to enter IT.
For its part, BT has helped create the Industry Gold Standard for apprenticeships, which is seen as
the bench mark for quality of provision in digital skills. The use of volunteers as IT ambassadors is
also a longstanding commitment to digital inclusion by BT. Much of their efforts have been directed
towards the elderly and helping them to use new technology.
Further engagement in schools and colleges must be the way forward with initiatives such as
‘Believe in Young People’, a partnership between employers and schools, providing work-related
lesson plans, work experience, careers talks and opportunities such as jobs and apprenticeships. This
is a model that could be used more extensively. The issue is how to publicise this across the sector.
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4. How can schools ensure students acquire the digital skills and understanding they will
need in the future? What support is needed? What are the tripwires? How can schools
make better use of technology in and out of the classroom?
Schools are totally focused on delivering against exam results; they are being driven that way and must
show success through high pass grades across all subjects, especially the core subjects. This is often
detrimental to subjects that don’t fit the norm, with many schools struggling to find teachers with the
skills and calibre to educate and teach pupils in computer science. This means pupils and students often
do not appreciate or understand the subject matter, its impact on society and the importance for
business. This places the onus back onto employers to provide this; from this point on there is a mode of
catch up with employers fighting over a shortage of young people with basic skill sets and having to
create and invest in order to build their own.
5. How can we encourage better use of technology across all stages of education to teach
students better, enrich their learning and improve efficiency?
Technology should only be introduced in a way that improves and deepens the learning experience
for students so that schools can see the point of adopting it. Technology should be introduced where
it allows students to tackle problems in ways that would not be possible without the technology or
where the ability to tackle a problem is greatly enhanced. They should be able to explore and
investigate in ways that are inspirational and motivational.
6. What needs to be done to ensure that the new computing curriculum in England is
successfully implemented?
Schools and colleges need to have the computing skills, knowledge and understanding themselves. They
need teachers who appreciate the opportunities, the breadth of requirements from business and
employers plus the diversity of IT skills on offer. They should look for more co-operative means of
translating those skills through business partnerships and seek to educate and show the young the ‘art of
the possible’ within this sector for career opportunities and focus on females who still see this as a ‘geek’
area to work in, dominated by males.
7. What role can apprenticeships play in boosting the UK’s home grown talent for digital
skills? What would a really good apprenticeship in digital skills/IT look like? What would
help?
Apprenticeships in a wide range of industries should include digital skills as part of apprenticeship
schemes. Whether technology apprenticeships or not, digital skills have become a fundamental part of
the workplace and must become a core part of training. Companies of all size can be helped to offer
apprenticeships through financial assistance and by educating them as to the benefits of employing
young people with new skills that can potentially take a business into new areas.
8. How can further education and higher education better equip students with the digital
skills which are needed?
There should be discussion between employers, teachers and education departments for clarity on what
is required for teaching digital skills. We would be happy to engage in any workshop/discussion group on
how to take this forward.
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9. How can careers guidance at every stage be improved to ensure that people receive the
necessary information, advice and guidance to help them make informed choices? Who
should deliver this advice and how?
School and college career advice on digital skills is extremely sporadic in terms of content and
availability. This can be said for other sectors but it is worse for digital as many cannot define or explain
what it actually means. It is one area that business can and should help with, it is feasible for the sector
as a whole to engage with key locations and share the obvious need to educate and explain the skills
and sector in general. Many employers have already started this type of engagement, BT being one of
them but many initiatives lack co-ordination and unification in terms of the messages presented.
10. Ongoing learning and reskilling of the existing workforce will be a vital component of
ensuring that the UK responds to the challenge of technological advance. How do we up
skill the existing work force – both in and out of employment? How can we provide better
opportunities for career transitions, career pathways for all ages?
The need is definitely out there in the business world as the digital skills shortage affects not only
business growth but the growth of the economy too. The dilemma for all is where the support and help
should come from to deliver up skilling? If it is left totally to employers then skills tend not to be
transferable as qualifications are missing; if we introduce qualifications and funding to support, then the
debate on accreditation versus skill transfer starts. There is a need to clarify both of these, skills need a
qualification if they are to be transferable but employers need support to do this. There has to a
compromise between both.
11. What can be done to ensure that politicians recognise the importance of digital skills?
Politicians should spend time in different sized companies that operate in the sector so they can
appreciate the challenges, see the shortages in skills coming through the educational system and
then compare this experience to the schools curriculums for computer science and IT. They should
visit primary and secondary schools to see what is on offer so they can see the gaps.
We would be happy to discuss these issues further. Further enquiries can be directed to
David Pincott, Head of Political Research, Policy and Briefing, BT Group plc
Tel: 020 7356 6585/email: david.pincott@bt.com
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