The UK technology sector has a talent shortage which could “stifle growth”, an industry body has warned. Liz Scott, from TechNation, said it was “a real issue” which must be rectified. There were more than two million UK job vacancies in tech last year, more than any other labour area, but an industry coalition says nearly 12 million workers lack essential digital skills. The government told the BBC it was working very closely with industry on digital skills training. However, schemes like boot camps, apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships do not seem to be enough to address the gap. More information: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-62098767
“It is estimated that 697,000 businesses (51%) in the UK have a basic skills gap in cyber security. The gap has been exacerbated by the acceleration of digitalisation and the adoption of emerging technologies during the pandemic. Nurturing the digital talent pipeline to be more inclusive and diverse is an essential part of addressing the problem in the long-term. However, this approach does not address the immediate needs of the cybersecurity industry, which is already feeling the strain of a limited and highly competitive talent pool.
“Cybersecurity organisations need to consider updating their hiring practices to be more inclusive and to create more non-traditional entry points so that large portions of the potential workforce are not being excluded from careers in cybersecurity. Implementing internal upskilling and reskilling initiatives is another way that organisations can nurture new and existing talent to reach their full potential. This proactive approach can help build a more diverse, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable digital workforce that can keep pace with the company’s growing digital needs.”