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Philp said: “In the last five years the UK has raced ahead of Europe to become a global tech leader and now we’re setting the course for the future. The digital strategy is the roadmap we will follow to strengthen our global position as a science and technology superpower.”
The strategy is said to bring together cross-government policies in a unified roadmap for ensuring that digital technology, infrastructure and data drive economic growth and innovation, leading to new jobs, skills and services.
Technology leaders from companies including Starling, Amazon Web Services and Multiverse will be brought together in a new Digital Skills Council to tackle the skills gap.
Fast growth
Since the government launched its first digital strategy in 2017 the UK technology sector has surged – growing over two-and- a-half times faster than the economy as a whole. The new strategy will build upon this to grow a more innovative, inclusive and competitive digital economy which will generate more highly skilled jobs and better choice for consumers across the UK.
Estimates suggest that the government’s approach to supporting and strengthening the digital economy could grow the UK technology sector’s annual gross value added by an additional £41.5bn by 2025 and create 678,000 jobs.
Naomi Weir, CBI director of innovation, said: “At a time when the country is facing fierce headwinds, in the form of inflation and supply-chain challenges, unleashing investment is more crucial than ever. The digital sector is a bright spot in our economy, and an area where we’re punching above our weight internationally.”
More than 80% of new jobs require digital skills, but employers say that the lack of available talent is the biggest factor holding back growth. Estimates suggest that the digital skills gap costs the UK economy as much as £63bn a year in potential gross domestic product.
Teamwork needed
Collaborating directly with employers, the Digital Skills Council will encourage investment in employer-led training to provide workforces with new skills. The group will also look at ways the industry can inspire the next generation of talent from a wide range of backgrounds to consider digital careers.
The Office for Students will provide up to 2,000 scholarships funded by the government to make sure the UK has the advanced digital skills it needs in innovative artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. Up to £23m will be allocated to universities to fund scholarships starting in 2023. Funding will be available for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds as well as for ethnic minorities, women and the disabled to ensure that the AI built and used in the UK reflects the make-up of society.
Organisations can also match-fund scholarships for the AI and data science conversion courses.
Julian David, CEO of trade association techUK, said: “Innovation in technology will be essential to deliver the jobs, growth and prosperity the UK needs. Delivering this plan will help keep the UK at the vanguard of leading digital economies.”
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