TCS helps teachers to reduce digital skills gap in the UK
IT services, business solutions and consulting firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has signed an partnered with The Tech Partnership and MyKindaCrowd to develop a new initiative, designed to help teachers encourage more young people into digital careers.
In the increasingly digitalised world, where more and more information is shared and stored online, companies more than ever searching for digital talent. Professionals that not only can help them protect their often sensitive data, but also can help them understand how to best make use of this data and how to capitalise on the digitalisation.
The TechFutures Teachers: Careers Resources Pack
With the UK in need of 750,000 skilled digital workers by 2017, the three partners launched their ‘TechFutures Teachers: Careers Resources Pack’, designed to help reduce this UK digital skills gap. “Digital technologies are playing a defining role in all aspects of our lives and this trend will continue to grow. As a result, there will be an increase in demand for employees with digital skills, and hence more young people need to choose the right education, to give them the required future skills,” explains Nupur Singh Mallick, HR Director at TCS UK & Ireland. “The TechFutures Careers Resource Pack is a key part of our IT Futures programme, a series of TCS-led initiatives designed to foster enthusiasm and engagement among young people and address the long-term challenges limiting the growth of the UK’s digital talent pool.”
This first of its kind resources pack for teachers has been established to help them inspire young people to choose a career in digital by educating them about possible IT roles and the steps they need to take to achieve that ambition. The TechFutures is based on research from MyKindaCrowd and brings together industry insights, practical lesson guides and activities. The pack offers teachers lesson plans, example job descriptions and group exercises to “help educate students about the variety of industries that require digital skills, the different types of career paths available within IT and the steps that can be taken to pursue them.”
Sue Nieland, Director of Education for The Tech Partnership, comments: “It is vital that we have a secure talent pipeline to ensure the future success of the digital economy. These employer-created resources will help to inspire the future tech workforce about the fascinating careers that are available to them in the tech industry.” William Akerman, Managing Director of MyKindaCrowd, adds: “It is encouraging that businesses are proactively looking to help shrink the skills gap and in particular the digital skills gap. Forging links with schools and teachers, and providing them with dedicated resources to inspire them and provide them with new skills is excellent in helping students explore what careers will suit them.”
