The UK is quite rightly proud of its technological heritage but maintaining this reputation in the years to come will require galvanising expertise across education, IT, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines.
Recent estimates suggest that the STEM skills gap in the UK is greater than ever, with an average of 10 unfilled positions per business, resulting in an annual loss of £1.5 billion due to recruitment, temporary staffing, training and inflated salaries. But the outlook is more promising. According to statistics from UCAS, more young people are studying STEM subjects at university than ever before, with student numbers for computer science courses up by almost 50% between 2011 and 2020 and engineering courses up 21% in the same period. This is great news for the future of technology in the UK with young people more prepared and more able to access the highly skilled - and higher starting salary - technology jobs of the future.
Companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are already playing a vital role in helping the UK ensure its skills pipeline is full and future ready. TCS has operated in the UK for 45 years, continuously investing in both the nation’s business community and the technology skills of its people. The company has pledged to continue this support to help develop IT and STEM skills in the future.
It is vital that children at school feel compelled to study STEM subjects through to higher education. One of the ways that TCS is investing in workforce skills is through engagement with young people. It has successfully engaged more than 150,000 school age students across the UK over the last three years and has partnered with Queen Mary University of London to offer a bursary for up to 20 students studying computer science.
TCS is inspiring the next generation, but also helping to ensure there are jobs waiting for them when they graduate. With expertise spanning a variety of industry sectors, TCS is one of the UK's biggest IT recruiters, having added more than 7,000 employees, including 1,800 trainees, over the past five years. Following a recent meeting in Mumbai between visiting UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss and TCS CEO, Rajesh Gopinathan, the company announced that it will be investing further in the UK economy by recruiting 1,500 tech employees across the UK in 2021, more than 400 of which will be graduate and trainee roles.
These new jobs will be based across all regions of the UK, with around 60% of the roles outside of London, in areas including the North East and Scotland, as part of its pledge to continue its investment in the UK’s digital innovation and technology advances.
Engaging and encouraging the next generation to get involved in STEM is vital to the UK’s economic growth and its readiness for the post-pandemic world. With increased investment in job opportunities and skills readiness, TCS is committing to ensuring that no part of the nation is left behind.
