Digital natives have untapped talent: It’s time to exploit it
We are leading digital lives. In our homes, in our workplaces, when we travel and when we relax, we are swiping screens, searching for answers online, ordering goods and services, and sharing the minutiae of our lives via social media.
Young people are the leading explorers of the digital world and are seamlessly moving between on and offline – technology is second-nature to them. However, as they move into their teens and beyond, they do not necessarily realise that there is a wide variety of careers on offer to those with digital skills. They are picking up these skills simply by living, yet the advice being given to them just hasn’t caught up.
SUPPLY GAP
Companies are desperate for people who can design great user interfaces, or create compelling content using all the digital tools available to engage with possible customers.
The CBI has published a survey showing that more than half of firms are afraid they will not be able to recruit people with the right skills in the coming years – not just those with digital abilities, but for all the high-end skills needed for twenty-first century businesses. The UK will have to train 2.2m people in digital skills by 2020 to power the UK’s digital economy. If we don’t start tackling some of the underlying reasons for this skills gap, there will be a serious economic impact.
Addressing the digital skills gap needs to be a shared responsibility between the government, business and other stakeholders. We have to start by giving young people the awareness of the opportunities and explain that digital jobs are relevant to them. This will involve educating everyone in the chain of influence – teachers, businesses both big and small, and families.
HAVE A RESPONSE
Through Google’s Digital Garage initiative, we’re aiming to train over 25,000 teachers all over the UK and get them excited about computer science education and the importance of digital skills. We are also getting in touch and working with small businesses to help them understand that digital skills can directly impact their bottom lines, leading to faster growth.
POWER OF AMBASSADORS
Of course, one of the most powerful ways to inspire kids at school and university is to promote ambassadors close to their own age who are already carving out careers. High profile YouTubers or vloggers, who have generated thousands of followers for their own channels, spring to mind.
A lot of caution is needed because not everyone can be a YouTube star. But tales like that of Fleur de Force – a vlogger who taught herself all the necessary digital skills to follow her passion, as no-one at school showed her the possibilities or offered support – is at once inspirational and rather damning.
The success of this ambassador programme is one reason why I am keen to support the British Interactive Media Association’s (BIMA) Digital Day on 17 November. People from companies like Google, digital creative agencies and young ambassadors who can share their experiences from the coal face will visit schools to explain their roles and hopefully fire up interest in jobs.
Digital Day is a great idea and a first step in spreading the word. But we really need to see digital-all-the-time, and we’ll support any industry discussions aimed at helping government understand the problems and possible solutions to the digital skills gap.