COUNTRY FOCUS : UK
The digital skills gap is an ongoing issue for the IT industry and estimations from AND Digital show £ 240 billion of UK growth is at risk between now and 2026 if the digital gap is not addressed .
Lack of digital skills is jeopa growth and businesses must
Big Ben and Westminster Bridge in London at sunset
Digital services company , AND Digital , has released its The Nature of the Digital Skills Gap report , which reveals that over half ( 61 %) of business growth depends on digital outcomes , with most ( 81 %) managing directors admitting that a lack of digital skills is having a negative impact on their organisation already . Based on AND Digital ’ s estimations , this equates to £ 50 billion per year across the UK economy and more than £ 240 billion between now and 2026 . issue is compounded by the fact that over half ( 58 %) of workers admit they have not received digital upskilling from their employer .
The research commissioned by AND Digital , which surveyed 5,000 UK workers who use technology in their roles , analysed the digital skills capabilities at an individual , team and organisational level . Overall , it highlights that urgent action to digitally upskill the UK ’ s workforce could help its chance of economic recovery .
These findings are alarming , with over a quarter ( 27 %) of businesses attributing employee churn , a loss of talent , or difficulty attracting talent to a lack of digital skills . Critically , over a fifth ( 22 %) admit it has impacted their ability to hit business targets , made them lose customers or key business opportunities . Yet , this
Workers are not receiving adequate upskilling to meet required growth
AND Digital found that over a quarter ( 27 %) of workers surveyed feel they lack sufficient digital skills for their current role , but almost a quarter ( 22 %) of
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