Jacqueline De Rojas CBE
President, TechUK
Fantastic career opportunities in tech are now available to young people, but how often do you hear about them?
The pathway into a tech career is different for everyone, but the belief that a degree – in computer science or similar, is necessary, has persisted.
It can be difficult, and sometimes overwhelming, to work out where to start.
Often there is a lack of awareness of the career opportunities that exist and how to get to them, which is why I believe that the tech industry needs to do more.
Support people into digital roles
The UK’s tech sector is growing at three times the rate of the rest of the economy, creating exciting jobs that require a range of skills and talent – but the UK is still facing a major digital skills shortage.
There are 600,000 digital vacancies at any one time in the UK and by 2020 there will be one million unfilled jobs in the British IT sector.
In order to effectively prepare our workforce in an ever changing digital economy, we need to inspire and support people into digital roles, and apprenticeships are at the heart of that.
IT and tech sectors need creative, critical thinkers
A university education is not a ‘must have’. There are a number of pathways that can provide people with the skills to flourish in the industry.
The sector needs more than developers and programmers. It needs people with skills from across the board, for instance, creativity and critical thinking – meaning that there is something for everyone.
We need to communicate the breadth of opportunities on offer and continue to develop the value of those opportunities, redefining what it means to be an apprentice.
There are 600,000 digital vacancies at any one time in the UK and by 2020 there will be one million unfilled jobs in the British IT sector.
Pathways to a tech career
I want to promote tech careers and make the case for an inclusive and open sector, regardless of age, background or education.
This is why techUK has launched its online pathways guide, highlighting the variety of routes into a tech career. The tool is designed to open up the possibilities of a tech career for all.
There are still misconceptions about the industry that can put young people off certain roles, including how creative these roles can be; these barriers to entry need to be addressed head on.
By signposting different ways to enter the sector, techUK hopes to raise awareness of the opportunities available and the diversity of routes in.
Careers advice
Given the pace and scale of technological change, it is unrealistic to expect teachers or even careers advisers to keep up with the most up-to-date roles. Companies and individuals within the tech sector must do more to directly engage with students, and where possible, their parents, to offer them advice and information.
Our recent survey found that over 80% of parents felt that teachers were not being given enough time to think about preparing children for the future world of work, so we really must be supporting them better. Giving them the tools will have a significant impact on how best they can advise students on their choice of pathway into a tech career.
It’s possible for anyone to get into tech
There has never been a better time to get into tech. This sector continues to transform our lives as our dependency on ‘all things connected’ grows. Our responsibility is to signpost the apprenticeships and retraining opportunities to as diverse a talent pool as possible. This way we can not only build the skills pipeline but also build a digital future that works for everyone