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SMEs must tackle the UK’s digital skills divide

A new report published today has highlighted the imbalance of digital skills between UK regions. The digital exclusion heatmap, created by the charity, Go ON UK, reveals that nearly one in four adults – around 12 million people – lack the skills to complete five basic online tasks. These include managing information, communicating, transacting, problem-solving and creating. While London, Scotland and East Anglia score highly in regards to digital competence, the story is not the same in other parts of the country. For example, a third of Wales’ residents do not have even basic skills.

“Businesses need to take this skill gap very seriously,” Erwan Kernevez, digital solutions director at mailing solution specialist Neopost said. “At a time when digitisation should be moving up the corporate agenda, it’s worrying that so many aren’t equipped with even the most basic of digital skills. The ability to work in a digital environment is increasingly important – not just to an individual company’s profit margin, but to the economy as a whole. While the UK is often praised for its innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, recent reports have also shown that productivity levels are low. The disparity between different regions could certainly be contributing to this.

“Companies have to take some of the responsibility for ensuring employees can utilise the latest digital tools,” continued Kernevez. “With such a strong correlation between digital technology and cost savings, small businesses cannot afford to ignore the importance of digital expertise within the workplace. Digital capabilities are a must, and those that choose not to recognise this now will only find themselves limiting their growth prospects and slipping behind their competitors.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Zinwave .