Digital literacy a “key requisite” in the workplace, shows YouGov research

Digital literacy is a “key requisite” in the workplace, according to new research from YouGov. The survey, which was commissioned by Capgemini UK, showed that young people in the UK are lacking the knowledge and experience required to be digitally savvy in the workplace.

Over 1,000 employers were surveyed, with over 80% agreeing that digital literacy is needed in the workplace, and 18% stating that young employees, whilst digitally savvy, are lacking the necessary digital skills required for working in a business environment.

More work

Research showed that over 35% of IT and telecoms employers believe that young people are lacking digital skills, followed by sales, marketing and media employers at 20%.

Capgemini UK Head of Digital, Alex Smith-Bingham, stated that young people have “grown up with technology at their fingertips”, but added that more needs to be done in order for them to develop the skills that are required for the workplace.

The survey found that 87% of employers look for young people with the ability to use the internet for work-based tasks and staying safe online, whilst 84% seek young employees with skills that enable them to create basic digital content.

Fundamental requisite

Capgemini is now helping to solve the problem of a digital skills shortage by teaming up with The Prince’s Trust to provide a training programme for 600 disadvantaged young people in the UK.

Prince’s Trust Director, Paul Brown, said: “Whether it’s a job in retail, hospitality or even accounting, solid digital literacy is as much a fundamental requisite as traditional academic qualifications.”

He added that without these skills, applicants will miss out on the job roles that they want, and that the trust is “committed” to helping young people develop skills in this area.