Systemic problems with digital education and training need to be addressed as a matter of urgency in the government’s forthcoming digital strategy, according to the Science and Technology Select Committee.

Following its inquiry examining the digital skills gap, the Committee has published its report addressing the key areas that the digital strategy must deliver in order to halt the current "crisis" that it claims is present in all stages of digital education. Recommendations for education and training include:

• Digital colleges should be developed across the country to replicate the National College for Digital Skills (reported in May’s OCR Policy Briefing)
• Apprenticeships need to be closely aligned with industry requirements for the digital sector
• The Government should set targets for recruiting teachers in computer science, review the case for financial incentives and invest in teacher training for the delivery of the computing curriculum
• Ofsted should include the computing curriculum specifically in inspections and require schools to deliver plans for embedding computing
• An employer forum should be established to discuss priorities for ensuring the computing curriculum and its teaching stay up to date
• Improved industry-led careers advice should be available in schools, FE and universities.

This inquiry built on last year’s Lord's Select Committee report Make or Break: The UK’s Digital Future which was a call to action for the Government for an ambitious approach to securing the UK’s digital economy.

The Tech Partnership - a network of employers collaborating to create the skills for the digital economy – has recently carried out a consultation on basic digital skills standards on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This work takes forward a recommendation from a recent review of publicly funded digital skills qualifications.