The report refers to young people as to those who are ‘digital natives’ and who have grown up surrounded by digital technology
Report found a digital skills gap between males and females. Source: pexels.com
According to Learning & Work institute’s survey, 88% of young people say that digital skills will be essential for their career.
The data states that 62% of them are confident that they have the basic digital skills that employers need. However, fewer than 1 in 5 young people are very confident they have the advanced digital skills that employers need.
Many of them are interested in pursuing a career that requires advanced digital skills, but there is a significant gender gap.
Indeed, 62% of young males are interested in a digital career, compared to 42% of young females. There’s also a similar gender gap in young people’s confidence in their digital skills.
Besides, 51% of young people are interested in a career that will require advanced digital skills. Young people are keen to continue upskilling throughout their careers, with seven in ten saying they want an employer that invests in their digital skills.
While there is significant interest in digital skills, there remains a digital divide, with many young people in digital poverty. On the eve of the pandemic, nearly 1 in 10 young people had no access to a laptop, desktop, or tablet at home.
Digital poverty is particularly prevalent among those from lower socio-economic groups. For example, 1 in 5 households with children have no access to an appropriate device, and over 1 in 20 have no access to the internet. This digital poverty has limited young people’s ability to learn during the lockdown, contributing to educational inequalities.
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