Digital top earners ‘shunned uni’

More than half of the UK’s top earners in the digital sector – earning between £88,000 and £130,000 a year – have never attended university, let alone seen the inside of a lecture theatre, according to new research.
The study, by digital recruitment specialists The Candidate, cites a lack of digital courses available as the main reason, although out of those who did attended higher education, the majority (73%) completed literary courses such as English Language.
There will be many who will wonder what all the fuss is about; after all, many digital skills are developed on the job. But the issue has not gone unnoticed by the Government or the higher education system.
The launch of Digital Business Academy by University College London (UCL) and Tech City UK last year shows that time and money is being invested in the digital sector.
Brian Matthews, managing partner at The Candidate, said: “It has taken time for the education system to implement courses that will really benefit students and mould them into skilled professionals. This is why many senior members of staff working in digital are without the specialist backgrounds.”
However, a separate House of Lords Digital Skills Committee report claims the UK is failing to address its digital skills shortage.
“Make or break: The UK’s digital future” suggests the next government urgently needs to resolve the skills gap, with the Digital Skills Committee estimating 35% of UK jobs will be at risk of being automated over the next
The committee highlighted the need for more apprenticeships and a shift in the country’s attitude towards cyber security, ensuring the UK has enough people trained with the necessary skills.
And, despite welcoming the new computing curriculum – which launched in September 2014 – the committee raised concerns over who would teach it, as the report says teachers are not confident in delivering digital skills.