At this year’s Conservative Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has partnered with Capita Plc to hold an open fringe panel discussion: The digital skills gap: an opportunity for social mobility?.
In the wake of Covid-19, the mass move to online working and the greater use of technology within the workplace seem to be a lasting legacy of the pandemic. Yet, despite this increased technology use, employers continue to report a shortage of digital skills: according to the Employer Skills Survey, one in twenty employers reported a vacancy due to a shortage of skills and, of these vacancies, 29 per cent were related to a lack of digital skills and 17 per cent were related to a lack of advanced digital skills. This begs the question: how do we embed digital skills training within young people’s education and also ensure adults have access to these learning opportunities?
This panel will bring together policy makers, college leaders and business stakeholders to examine how we can ensure that young people and the current workforce have the digital skills they need to be resilient in the face of workforce shifts towards automation and benefit from the opportunities that greater digitalisation brings. It will focus on the possibilities that increased digitalisation present for social mobility and explore the current hurdles that must be overcome to make sure people can access qualifications, training and CPD within the digital skills space.
We are delighted to welcome Jane Hickie, AELP; David Hughes, Association of Colleges; Helen Milner OBE, Good Things Foundation; Alistair Murray, Capita Plc; Natalie Perera, Education Policy Institute and Lord Vaizey, Digital Futures.
** Note: This event will take place in the conference secure zone. To access the secure zone you will need to obtain a pass directly from the Conservative Party.**
