Yes, there’s a digital skills crisis but we can solve it!
Liz Williams MBE, Chief Executive of FutureDotNow, discusses the crisis and how it can be tackled.
According to Liz Williams, the UK is in a digital skills crisis. Over half of the UK’s workforce (17.1 million) lack workplace digital skills and 11.7 million (22%) adults are without the essential digital skills needed for everyday life, according to the Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2020. These figures have remained stubbornly consistent for years. Perhaps not so surprising when only 23% of the UK workforce report having had any digital skills training from their employer.
During the first national lockdown in 2020, the Lightbulb Trust worked with the FutureDotNow coalition and the Good Things Foundation to provide devices and digital skills support to some of the most vulnerable families in London. Liz argues that, “as society moves more and more online, the sheer speed of digitisation is leaving many behind. This is damaging the UK’s competitiveness and productivity and preventing individuals and businesses taking full advantage of digital technology. The UK might have a thriving tech sector but all businesses now require some digital expertise. And yet, over half the UK’s workforce is not equipped with the digital skills they need”.
Read the full blog post here.
Yes, there’s a digital skills crisis but we can solve it!
Liz Williams MBE, Chief Executive of FutureDotNow, discusses the crisis and how it can be tackled.
According to Liz Williams, the UK is in a digital skills crisis. Over half of the UK’s workforce (17.1 million) lack workplace digital skills and 11.7 million (22%) adults are without the essential digital skills needed for everyday life, according to the Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2020. These figures have remained stubbornly consistent for years. Perhaps not so surprising when only 23% of the UK workforce report having had any digital skills training from their employer.
During the first national lockdown in 2020, the Lightbulb Trust worked with the FutureDotNow coalition and the Good Things Foundation to provide devices and digital skills support to some of the most vulnerable families in London. Liz argues that, “as society moves more and more online, the sheer speed of digitisation is leaving many behind. This is damaging the UK’s competitiveness and productivity and preventing individuals and businesses taking full advantage of digital technology. The UK might have a thriving tech sector but all businesses now require some digital expertise. And yet, over half the UK’s workforce is not equipped with the digital skills they need”.
Read the full blog post here.
Latest News
This year marks five years since I joined the Lightbulb Trust. We are a small grant-making foundation and impact investor,
15 September 2025 by Louise Marston Building on five years of proven impact, we’re launching the UK’s first dedicated investment fund for
Growing up in West London, I’ve seen first-hand the challenges young people face—whether it’s struggling with access to opportunities, mental
On the morning of November 27th, Lightbulb Trust hosted its annual breakfast with our partners, both longstanding and newly welcomed,
