Mind the Gap: Building the workforce for a digital future
Major new report on digital skills presented to government by cross-sector partnership. ChelTechne is produced by Cheltenham Festivals in partnership with QA, supported by National Grid Electricity Distribution.
“Young people will have been failed if action is not taken”
A groundbreaking new report, Mind The Gap: Building the Workforce for a Digital Future, calls for urgent action to address the digital skills gap affecting young people across the UK. Co-authored by Cheltenham Festivals and QA, the UK’s largest tech training provider, this report outlines vital recommendations to equip the next generation with the necessary digital skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy.
Key recommendations
• Digital education leadership: Every school and college should appoint an individual responsible for digital education.
• New digital qualifications: Create a modular, continually updated digital qualification.
• Digital education council: Establish an independent, cross-sector council to oversee digital education.
Co-authors & signatories
This report represents a unique collaboration of stakeholders from education, industry, and the third sector, including AQA, KPMG, BCS, and the National Grid Electricity Distribution. It marks the first unified stance on digital education from such a diverse group of organizations.
The report is the result of a symposium held at the Cheltenham Science Festival in June 2024, where key stakeholders gathered to create a roadmap for closing the digital skills gap.
Voices of leadership
“The digital skills gap is already affecting the UK and will continue to do so long-term. This report presents the Government with a cross-sector plan that offers both an initial solution to the skills crisis and a longer-term strategy for the future.”
“Cheltenham Festivals are uniquely placed to convene experience and expertise from the scientific, technical, academic, creative, and governmental sectors. Mind The Gap brings together all these viewpoints into a single, highly valuable, blueprint for digital success.”