THERE is a rising disparity between supply and demand when it comes to professional skills, especially in Scotland’s tech sector, that has been well documented. Despite this, new reports frequently emerge citing the strength of Scotland’s ever-growing tech industry.
Edinburgh, in particular, is well known as being the home to billion-pound “unicorns” such as Skyscanner and FanDuel. It’s no wonder Edinburgh was voted as the best city in the UK to launch a start-up. Yet, with so many exciting start-ups developing every day, who will be there to fill all of the newly created jobs as this continues?
The gap between jobs and skills is only going to grow wider. According to the Dell Technologies’ Realizing 2030 report, 85 per cent of the jobs that will be available by that year haven’t even been created yet.
The tech industry has become so multifaceted; the sector now encompasses anything from gaming to cyber security. Children growing up today will enter the job market with a staggering number of career options thanks to the tech boom.
In today’s climate, it is crucial that we reinvent the way we teach computing and technology at school. More needs to be done to encourage interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) at a young age, especially amongst girls, and to make children aware of how prominent these skills are within so many disciplines and industries in the world today.
There are initiatives out there making great strides towards this, including the F1 in Schools challenge that raises awareness of STEM and Formula 1 for students worldwide. Cathcart Associates recently sponsored the Scottish all-girls team, Team Accelerace, who have made it through to the world finals of this challenge in Singapore later this month.
READ MORE: Scottish pupils to compete in F1 in Schools world finals
However, more still needs to be done. There remains a stigma around computing in general that should be tackled, and digital skills need to be made more accessible for all to learn. From an early age, children must be inspired by the technology that surrounds them and how much of their world is facilitated by it. We need to share with them a world of possibility and opportunity by fostering an interest in STEM.
Whose responsibility is it to promote this? Everybody ought to be responsible, really. Top-down, from the government, to parents, to tech companies across the country, we all share a common responsibility to the future.
With so many opportunities out there that require talented individuals, an attractive option for many of those from non-tech backgrounds is to retrain into tech, while even those already involved in the sector often need to upskill in order to keep up with changing demands of the industry.
Digital skills academies such as CodeClan can help people to retrain into tech, but in many cases, potential students who can’t afford the course fees. For this very reason, we sponsored a 16-week software development course for a student from a low-income household earlier this year to help her retrain as a junior developer.
There are untold numbers of skilled people out there who simply don’t have the money to change careers
Businesses in Scotland must take advantage of this wealth of potential talent out there rather than wait and hope for the issue to solve itself.
We need to take on some of the responsibility to help Scotland achieve its goal of being a digital world leader and prepare the next generation with the skills necessary skills to get ahead.
Gordon Kaye
Managing director of Cathcart Associates
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