World Youth Skills Day

Thank you to Rachel Rosen, part of the RHG team and dedicated to Learner Achievement, for giving us her take on today’s World Youth Skills Day.

When we refer to ‘the youth of today’ there is often a negative spin followed by comments on their social media presence, online gaming and their obsession with the virtual world. Why do we jump to discuss the negatives about the world wide web, when surely if it was that bad, we would not all be so keen on it?

It is understandable that people are cautious about younger generations accessing a world of information. With an average of 4.2 billion active social media users, who spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social channels every day, parents are concerned for their children (who will always be their babies regardless of how old they are). However, if you look back at some of the movements of our time and how the culture of Britain developed – we just love a good old protest! Surely, our ‘youth’ and their outspoken social media presence, is just another example of social activism, such as the Suffragette movement, the CND Campaign against nuclear weapons, the LGBTQ+ movement. The only difference now is the world is their stage! The youth of today have the same voices, new ideas and innovative minds as their predecessors, but with technological skills at their fingertips, the possibilities are endless.

Over the past 18 months, a general view of the online world has changed. Once linked to isolation, it has now been a lifeline for many. Helping us keep in touch with our families and friends, keeping up to date with the news as well as accessing remote learning. Something that would never have been possible only 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, and almost unbelievably, there is still a lack of IT skills and digital experts in the UK, with the BBC reporting ‘UK heading towards digital skills shortage disaster’ in March this year. Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann, the chief executive of WorldSkills UK, believes the main reasons are:

• a lack of clearly defined job roles in certain fields
• a lack of understanding and guidance about potential career paths, particularly for younger people
• a lack of relatable role models
• a difficulty in making many technical professions seem appealing to young people, especially young women

There is also significant debate on how these skills should be obtained. Some believe that university is the way forward, whereas others recommend the ‘university of life’ or looking at vocational routes. The lack of diversity in recruitment for digital tech jobs and encouraging employers to think about the skills a person can exhibit, rather than focusing on paper qualifications are also issues that need to be resolved

We must overcome some of these hurdles for the successful future of our youth and the future of the UK in this fast paced, technological world.

Thankfully, we have organisations like WorldSkills UK, who run numerous digital skill competitions, open to young people of college age and upwards with around 15,000 entrants every year. This initiative is overcoming many barriers and creating a digital skills road map.

Developing coding skills could lead to a career as a 3D video game designer, building robots or developing augmented reality, the next huge technology leap expected within 5 years. LinkedIn reported a 1357% increase in social media positions listed on the platform since 2010, from Junior Digital Marketeer to Chief Marketing Officer.  Working remotely as a start-up social media company enables young people to become socially mobile without leaving their home town or city!  

So maybe it is time for us to flip this negative spin around and embrace the culture of internet, social media and online gaming and look at the potential skills and employment opportunities that are being developed. Though, even with all these reasons, it is a good idea to listen to parents, once in a while!

Russon, M & Hooker, L. 2021. BBC News Online: UK ‘heading towards digital skills shortage disaster’. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56479304

Gotter, A. 2021. Social Media College. Social Media Career Growth in 2021: What You Need to Know https://www.socialmediacollege.com/blog/social-media-career-growth-in-2021/