News / Skills
This digital skill gap is affecting local businesses
A gap in digital skills is jeopardising Bristol business growth.
Research carried out by digital services company AND Digital has brought the skill gap to light.
It found that in Bristol a third (33 per cent) of workers feel they lack sufficient digital skills for their job role and over half (57 per cent) have not received digital upskilling from their employer.
Its research also found that a misunderstanding exists of what digital skills means, with 28 per cent of workers in Bristol believing it means the ability to fix IT issues.
in Bristol a third of workers feel they lack sufficient digital skills for their job role. Photo credit – Josh Rundle
This presents a further barrier to closing the digital skills gap.
AND Digital highlights the fact that digital skills can mean much more than just technical skills.
Digital skills also include human skills like empathy, creativity and teaming. Along with professional skills, such as product and delivery management.
Not receiving adequate digital upskilling is also impacting individual career progression in Bristol including being turned down from pay rises or promotions (34 per cent).
As part of the report, AND Digital surveyed 5,000 UK workers who use technology in their roles.
The digital services company estimations put £240bn of UK growth at risk between now and 2026 if this digital skills gap is not addressed.
Paramjit Uppal, Founder and CEO of AND Digital, said: “Despite the digital skills gap discussion persisting for over a decade, UK organisations are still failing to sufficiently upskill employees, and it is directly impacting business and wider economic growth.
“This is because we have not come to a shared understanding of what the skills gap is or what digital skills means – this needs to be done to move forward and close the gap.
“In the next three years, AND Digital estimates the UK workforce will require eight million individuals proficient in digital skills to close the gap.
“A number which even the most effective recruitment teams will struggle with. This means organisations must prioritise digital upskilling – ensuring individuals, teams and organisations as a whole are fit for a digital present and future and helping to prevent economic stagnation.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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