Women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, non-graduates and people from lower socioeconomic groups must be trained for jobs in tech to close skills gap previously estimated at £63 billion[1], a new report highlights.

Independent policy and research organisation Learning and Work Institute has found that one half (49%) of polled employers in England and Scotland say they are struggling to recruit workers with the digital skills they need, and three-quarters (74%) agree that recruiting from non-traditional channels would help to bridge skills gaps. But only 37% of adults from lower socioeconomic groups polled for this research see a job in tech as a realistic option for them.

L&W is calling for an urgent rethink of pathways into tech, placing a greater focus on social mobility. One external study suggests the UK’s rapidly expanding tech has the potential to boost the UK economy  by an additional £413 billion by 2030[2]. However, this growth is being held back by gaps in digital and tech skills which cannot be filled by graduates alone.

The new research, commissioned by Generation and supported by JPMorganChase, shows that employers have a key role to play in adapting how they recruit and design jobs to attract new workers. The Government can also help to expand high-quality opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter tech jobs – for example, through the soon-to-be-reformed Growth and Skills Levy.

Businesses are missing out on diverse talent in part because when they recruit to tech roles, they tend to stick to traditional, graduate-focused hiring routes. As a result, they often overlook the talents of people who are under-represented in tech, including women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and people from lower socio-economic groups.