Kelly Nicholls
CEO, TechSkills
With a growing number of young people worried about the financial impact Higher Education will have on them long-term, many are looking for alternative routes into careers that will allow them to ‘earn and learn.’
The Government’s Apprenticeship Levy is a tax on employers with a wage bill of over £3 million per year, allowing businesses to reinvest back into their workforce in the form of apprenticeship training while allowing the apprentice to study fee-free. With financial pressures growing on everybody, it is no surprise that apprenticeships saw an 8.6% increase in learners in the 2021–22 academic year.
If we are to address the skills gap this country faces, we must ensure that a career in tech is open to everyone, regardless of background, race or gender.
Growing career opportunities in tech
In the tech sector in particular, big employers such as Amazon, BT, TCS and IBM are partnering with TechSkills as they look to plug the digital skills gap in the UK. From cybersecurity to game design, there are so many exciting roles within tech — but not enough people with the right skills to fill them.
TechSkills is employer-led and not-for-profit. They accredit learning pathways — including apprenticeships, degrees and shorter training programmes — that are designed to give employers access to talent.
Anyone can have a career in tech
If we are to address the skills gap this country faces, we must ensure that a career in tech is open to everyone, regardless of background, race or gender. The under-representation of women is stark, with just 19% of tech workers in the UK identifying as women and only 22% of tech directors, according to a report by Tech Nation.
Diversity and inclusion are paramount — not just because it’s right, but because it also allows companies to foster a creative and diverse group of talent that will develop and create new and innovative ideas.
Find a career in tech that suits you
To encourage people from all backgrounds to explore a career in tech, we have developed a Careers Toolkit so that all young people can explore the types of roles that might suit their personality type and interests — and learn how to get there. The world of tech presents a huge opportunity, and TechSkills can help ensure that every individual can benefit and every organisation can flourish with the talent it needs.
