Communications of the ACM
E-Skills Launches k Manifesto
Credit: e-Skills UK
Major IT employers have partnered with skills council e-Skills UK to launch the e-Skills Manifesto, which calls for additional investment in developing needed technology skills. The manifesto hopes to improve productivity in the UK by increasing the ability of organizations in all sectors to use technology. Estimating that 110,000 new people a year will be needed to enter IT careers, e-Skills UK has gained the support of twenty-three companies across a wide range of industry sectors. Four recommendations were made in the manifesto, including reforming IT-related education, helping companies innovate and increase productivity, ensuring government policy reflects the strategic importance of technology, and incentivizing all individuals to increase their e-skills.
The e-Skills Manifesto pledges to support sector-backed work to transform the attitudes of young people towards IT. There is a particular focus on girls in order to address the gender imbalance in the industry, where just 17 percent of IT professionals are female. Changes are also needed to the IT-related school curriculum, to make it more exciting and relevant for students, and to encourage them to pursue IT in academia and industry. The manifesto recommends that industry become more involved in this, for example by providing access to industry expertise and resources for IT teaching. It also encourages industry to get more involved in higher education, by extending the delivery of work-based programs, and co-investing with government in higher-level technology skills through the National Skills Academy for IT.
From Network World
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