Digital skills for a connected future

Research by WorldSkills UK indicates that 60 per cent of businesses are expecting their dependence on advanced digital skills to grow over the next five years. And while 88 per cent of young people realise that digital skills will be essential for their future careers, uptake of all types of IT training is on the decline. It has never been more important for organisations to address this trend and help inspire young people to engage with digital skills, or they face a struggle to fuel the future talent pipeline. 

T Levels offer an opportunity for employers to open the door on digital skills and show young people exactly what they might be missing. The qualifications, equivalent to three A Levels, are studied over two years and consist of both classroom study (80%) and a 45-day industry placement (20%).

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) has been supporting its first cohort of T Level students in digital support services and is now set to expand its offer from September to include digital design and development.

Emma Ball, Industry Placement Advisor at NWSLC said, “Our message to potential students is very clear. Skills in these areas can offer lucrative career paths and appealing job prospects. If they want to become indispensable in the job market, digital skills have never been in higher demand.

“We are focused on addressing the skills gap by highlighting the exciting opportunities that digital skills can bring with skilled individuals going on to develop 3D video games, or mobile apps, design robots or work on projects that bring the Internet of Things to life from self-driving cars to smart homes.

“Employers can really benefit from providing industry placements for T Level students as they will instantly gain an extra pair of hands and may even find the perfect future employee. Whatever happens, placements offer benefits to both students and employers, as well boosting the future of the sector.”

T Level placements offer businesses the chance to:

• Showcase the reality of working in their sector and inspire young people’s career choices
• Assess potential candidates for permanent employment through an extended interview process
• Gain immediate access to extra resource at no additional cost
• Strengthen their future workforce with homegrown talent
• Enhance their corporate social responsibility ratings.

Digital T Levels cover a range of topics and open students’ eyes to the possibilities of careers in the sector. Skills include:

• Digital infrastructure and support
• Cybersecurity
• Using data in software design
• Using digital technologies to analyse and solve problems
• Artificial intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain and 3D printing
• Privacy and confidentiality of personal data
• Testing software and hardware
• Using digital tools for project management and collaboration.

T Levels are for students aged between 16 and 19 years of age. NWSLC offers T Levels in engineering, business, digital, education, healthcare, and media. Discover how you can get involved in a way that helps your business, your industry, and your community. Contact us on 0330 058 3000 or email [email protected]