The UK ranks as the 25th most technically proficient country in Europe, trailing behind leaders like Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to a recent report by online course provider Coursera. This places the UK significantly behind European digital leaders, such as Germany, France, and Spain.
Globally, the UK is 45th out of 109 countries, improving from last year’s 64th place. Despite government investments in digital skills, this ranking suggests that current efforts may need reassessment.
Europe overall shows strong technical proficiency, with Switzerland leading the global ranking and European countries holding 17 of the top 25 places. Germany, France, and Spain rank 3rd, 5th, and 7th globally.
The findings come from Coursera’s 2024 Global Skills Report, based on data from over 148 million online course learners and other indicators like the Global Innovation Index, Labour Force Participation Rate, Human Capital Index, and GDP per capita.
In the UK, the uptake in AI upskilling over the past year was lower (961%) compared to the U.S. (1,058%) and the global average (1,060%). Donal McMahon, Vice President of Data Science at job site Indeed, highlighted the global demand for AI-savvy employees.
Nikolaz Foucaud, Managing Director of EMEA at Coursera, emphasized the need for increased investment in upskilling by both enterprises and the government to create a competitive labor force. He stressed the importance of collaboration between higher education institutions, the government, and the tech industry to meet evolving digital economy requirements.
The UK faces a digital skills shortage, with "skills-shortage vacancies" in the information and communications sector rising from 25% in 2017 to 43% in 2022. A 2023 survey by Red Hat identified high workloads, lack of budget for training, and siloed teams as key reasons for this shortage.
In response, the UK government has made significant investments. In March 2023, a plan to make the UK a science and technology superpower by 2030 was launched, with over £370 million allocated for infrastructure, investment, and skills in technologies like quantum and AI. Further investments include £200 million for training opportunities in digital industries and £1.1 billion for funding 4,000 doctorates in engineering and physical sciences.
Microsoft has also committed to bridging the digital skills gap, with a multi-million-pound investment announced in December 2023 to provide AI skills training to over a million people. Despite these efforts, the Coursera report highlights an urgent need for targeted upskilling initiatives.
AI remains a popular area for upskilling in the U.K., with a 961% increase in enrollments for generative AI courses from 2023 to 2024. The AI sector already employs over 50,000 people and contributes more than £3.7 billion annually to the U.K. economy, with projections to grow to over $1 trillion by 2035.
Foucaud noted that the demand for AI skills is driven by businesses seeking greater productivity and competitiveness, as well as individuals looking to enhance their careers.
Cybersecurity, however, is a growing concern. A report from Microsoft and Goldsmiths, University of London found that only 13% of U.K. businesses are resilient to cyberattacks, with 48% vulnerable and 39% at high risk. Despite this, European enrollments in cybersecurity courses declined by 5% in 2024.
Foucaud highlighted the need for alternative credentials to quickly and effectively equip individuals with cybersecurity skills, as the current reliance on university degrees is insufficient to meet the demand.
Overall, the UK must enhance its digital skills initiatives and foster collaboration to address the evolving demands of the digital economy and improve its technical proficiency ranking.
* Sourced from Tech Republic article: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/uk-behind-technical-skills-proficiency-coursera/