Tackling the digital skills gap for the future of work

A growing divide

It feels cliché to talk about how the pandemic has changed the ways we engage with our colleagues, clients and stakeholders, but it forced a fundamental shift onto a digital-first approach for so many organisations and people.

Digital technologies were a saving grace during the lockdowns. They enabled us to keep in contact, keep working and keep studying through two dramatic years. Sadly, access to these technologies is woefully inequitable, slowing our ability to achieve their full potential and threatening long-term socioeconomic growth.

One-fifth of our population is digitally disadvantaged and lacks the essential digital skills to navigate the modern world. This, combined with a growing skills gap at regional and national levels, has revealed a clear challenge for employers and educators.

At the University of Birmingham, we want our education to be fit for purpose, and to respond to the challenges facing our partners. There are fundamental digital skills problems faced by most industries, but also sector-specific challenges that require a nuanced response. We need to work with our partners to understand the right mix of soft and hard skills required for the workplace in the coming decades.

Birmingham Digital Futures

The Birmingham Digital Futures (BDF) initiative is our response to tackling the skills gap and broadening regional access to digital skills. A collaboration between PwC Midlands, Tech She Can and the University of Birmingham, it has two distinct strands of activity.

The first provides opportunities for industry practitioners to present to school children (aged 10-14) using lesson packs developed by Tech She Can. These lessons, which are mapped against the National Curriculum, give real-world examples of day-to-day tech use and in current and future jobs. Their focus isn’t on the how but the why and their aim is to inspire future generations to think about the application of emerging technologies.

The University is using its convening power to bring together multiple partners to deliver the project. We are utilising our links to local education providers and a growing body of volunteer champions to deliver the material across the region. Crucially, this activity recognises the need for educational intervention to happen early in a child’s school journey.

The second, broader strand, aims to build on the first to generate a thriving skills-focused innovation ecosystem with educators, businesses and organisations all working together to tackle pressing challenges. Our vision is to establish a world-leading Digital Skills Innovation District centred around The Exchange, our flagship space in the heart of Birmingham’s commercial district. By creating a focal point for lifelong learning near the Birmingham offices of numerous global companies, we will be able to lead the regional conversation around digital skills.

Growing out of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games legacy activities, a group of organisations, including PwC, Birmingham Tech, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, HSBC UK and Arup have taken part in a series of roundtables to focus on the specific challenges facing the region. Outcomes from these sessions are shaping the development and deployment of other projects like BDF – which will sit under the Innovation District banner.

Striking the balance

Responding confidently to the changing world of work, growing skills gaps and the needs of industry requires a balanced approach. We have taken immediate action to improve regional access to digital skills education – through schemes like BDF and our degree apprenticeships – this benefits the existing and future workforce. Concurrently we’re working with our partners to shape the long-term strategies that will deliver serious growth for the West Midlands.

As a century-old civic institution with academics at the forefront of technological, medical and social policy development, we know how to balance short and long-term solutions.

If you’re interested in learning more about BDF or the Digital Skills Innovation District, please get in touch.