As the demand for IT and digital occupations grows, there are projections that these occupations will grow by 13% by 2030. That is faster than the average for all other occupations.

A boom in investment in UK tech led to a surge in hiring across the country in 2021, with tech-related vacancies making up 13% of all UK job vacancies, up from 12.3% for the same period in 2020, according to data analysed by smarter job search engine Adzuna for the UK’s Digital Economy Council and Tech Nation’s Jobs and Skills Report 2021.

Nearly three million people, or 9% of the UK workforce, work in the UK tech industry. Companies across the UK are hiring rapidly to help grow their businesses, following £13.5bn investment into UK tech in 2021.

The data shows that the number of advertised tech roles is 42% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. And these numbers seem set to grow, with IT and digital occupations projected to add about 667,600 new jobs.

Demand for these workers will stem from:

• greater emphasis on cloud computing;
• the collection and storage of big data, and
• information security.

Tech has become an ever more pervasive part of the modern economy. It enables transactions and communication at what would have been unforeseen speeds just a few decades ago.

Since 2005, when there were just over 2 million people in the digital tech economy (including all jobs in the tech sector, as well as tech jobs in the economy more broadly), there has been close to a 50% increase in jobs. 

Close your skill gaps while you can

As the demand for these jobs rises, it is now more important than ever to ensure there are enough people to accommodate the rise. There is also a huge opportunity to retrain people in tech that were victims of pandemic redundancies.

While recent UK Government initiatives show an understanding of the importance of digital skills, the UK does not yet have the infrastructure and resources to meet this challenge alone. The Taskforce is calling for the Government to work with tech firms to open new pathways for all people to access digital skills certifications with a proven track record on employability. This will help support individuals from all backgrounds to succeed in digital jobs.

Apprenticeships offer the perfect way to close these potential skill gaps before they even occur.

This also offers an exciting opportunity for both apprentices and employers to learn on the job, where apprentices and employers can share their knowledge of technology and the workplace with each other. This will equip far more people with the skills and pathways they need to thrive in a future defined by new technology.

There are ways in which people who choose to take part in apprenticeships can be supported. These include:

• Supporting learners
• Champion bite-sized flexible learning
• Help learners meet the cost of retraining

An apprenticeship can help with all of these aspects. It can help people get into different career areas whilst also being supported financially.

At CogniSoft we provide case management systems for employability and training providers to ensure that they can deliver the best service to their users to ensure the most successful outcomes. Get in touch to see how we can help by calling us on 0161 777 2900