Great Britain: a national plan to develop digital skills

On 13 June, the UK government presented a series of measures aimed at developing the digital economy and creating more high-skilled, well-paid jobs in the digital sector. The plan includes the establishment of a Digital Skills Council comprising training experts and business leaders. It will be tasked with tackling the digital skills gap in the UK, at a time when 80% of jobs require digital skills yet many employers are struggling to find people skilled in this area. The Digital Skills Council will especially focus on strengthening digital talent pools in schools and universities, as well as in continuing education. Specific visas will also be granted to attract the best talent from around the world. “The Digital Strategy is the roadmap we will follow to strengthen our global position as a science and technology superpower. Our future prosperity and place in the world depends on it,” said Chris Philp, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. We note that the government’s first digital strategy was unveiled in 2017, and that since then the digital sector has grown two and a half times faster than the overall UK economy.