More than one in three workers (37 per cent) in the UK believe they may be unemployed in the future if they don’t acquire more tech skills.

Research from Salesforce and YouGov, which surveyed around 2,000 UK workers, job seekers and students, found that ‘a fundamental transformation’ of technology education is needed to tackle the skills gap.

Divided opinion

The pros and cons of automation and AI has been argued for a number of years and opinion is split on whether new tech will help employees do their job more effectively or remove their job entirely.

There are estimates that 80 per cent of jobs will become fully automated over the next few decades.

Therefore it’s clear that UK workers are keen to learn new skills in the emerging robotic, 3D printing and AI sectors. The research found that 79 per cent working in IT and telecoms believed their company would be more efficient with improved tech skills, followed by the manufacturing industry at 68 per cent.

Focus on training

91 per cent of UK adults believe that employers should provide training in technologies relevant to future jobs and don’t just focus on the value traditional educational paths such as university.

Antony Walker, deputy CEO of techUK commented, ‘There is going to be huge demand for digital skills right across the economy. We need to think creatively about how we are going to help people acquire those skills whatever their age, geographical location and educational background. To do this, employers and educators will need to work in partnership to ensure all communities are ‘work ready’ for the future.’

70 per cent of workers in the South-West and North-West were the most enthusiastic in thinking that developing their tech skills would help their future careers. However, workers in Yorkshire and the Humber region were less so, with just 54 per cent believing the same.

Further reading on AI

Taxing the robots – far sighted or fanciful?