Major new report on digital skills presented to government by cross-sector partnership

“Young people will have been failed if action is not taken”

Every school and college should appoint an individual responsible for digital education, create a new modular and continually updated digital qualification, and introduce an independent, cross-sector Digital Education Council, according to a new cross-sector report co-authored by Cheltenham Festivals and the UK’s largest tech training provider, QA.

Mind The Gap: Building the Workforce for a Digital Future emphasises that all school leavers must possess an acceptable level of digital literacy if they are to be equipped with the “adaptability, perseverance, and creativity” necessary to thrive in the future economy.

The report is the product of a unique gathering of stakeholders and comes as the new Labour government beds down policy. Its signatories include figures from across the digital education sectors, from schools and academia to industry and the third sector. Signatories include the AQA, IBM, KPMG, BCS, and the National Grid Electricity Distribution. The report is the first time such a range of organisations have agreed a joint position on the future of the nation’s digital education.

Other recommendations of the report include:

• incorporating the assessment of digital skills in a more balanced version of the government’s pupil performance Progress 8 measure;
• the assignment of resource to support embedding digital skills in schools;
• a requirement that every school appoint a ‘Digital Leader’ be responsible for upskilling staff and ensuring pupils and students develop digital competencies;
• a focus on upskilling the existing workforce, partly via a roll-out of the ‘Digital Skills Passport’ via Jobcentre Plus offices and other community hubs;
• longer-term, the rationalisation of patchwork provision across industry-support digital skills training schemes to ensure consistency of coverage and cost-effectiveness.

 The report has been co-authored by QA, the UK’s largest tech training provider, and Cheltenham Festivals, the world-famous arts and culture charity that hosts one of the UK’s most prominent Science Festivals every year, alongside highly regarded Literature Festival, Music and Jazz festivals.

Ali Mawle is co-CEO of Cheltenham Festivals. She said: “Cheltenham Festivals are uniquely placed to convene experience and expertise from the scientific, technical, academic, creative and governmental sectors, and Mind The Gap brings together all these viewpoints into a single, highly valuable, blueprint for digital success.”

The report is the product of a symposium held at Cheltenham Science Festival in June, 2024, where key stakeholders were gathered together for the first time to produce a roadmap to close the “digital skills gap.”

Toby Barnard is Managing Director of the UK Public Sector at QA. He said: “The digital skills gap is already affecting the UK and will continue to do so into the long term. Digital skills are often mistakenly considered to be out of reach or not appropriate by many people due to all sorts of factors. This means our country’s skills shortage will increase over time. We must intervene.

“This report presents Government with a cross-sector plan that offers both an initial solution to the skills crisis, and a longer-term solution for the future.”

The report is to be presented to the Government this week, and will be supported by a cross-sector promotion and advocacy campaign. Its authors and signatories contend that adopting its recommendations will enhance digital confidence and enable learners to succeed in a world of rapid change.