FutureDotNow newsletter - August 2024

An open invitation to sign the Workforce Digital Skills Charter

We are now excited to invite all organisations to become signatories of the Workforce Digital Skills Charter.

Developed as part of our 2024 delivery plan to close the workforce digital skill gap, the Charter is a shared statement of ambition for all those working to close the essential digital skills gap in the UK workforce. Early signatories include Accenture, Amey, Barclays, BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT), CIPD, Cisco, City and Guilds, Lloyds Bank, Marks and Spencer, Nationwide, PwC, Salesforce, and techUK.

The Charter supersedes the FutureDotNow membership pledge. If your organisation previously signed the pledge, you should have received an email confirming that you will automatically be recognised as a Charter signatory. No further action is required for existing members but if you wish to opt out of this invitation, please contact [email protected].

If you’re not yet formally part of our coalition, we’d love to have you aboard!

Find out more and sign the Charter

Our open letter to government

Last week, we wrote to Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, and Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology with an urgent call for action to close the workforce digital skills gap.

In an open letter, co-signed by cross-sector leaders, our message was clear: the gap in essential digital skills across the UK workforce poses a significant threat to the success of the government's most critical missions.

But the good news is, three low-cost interventions from government - if implemented at pace - could make the difference.

You can read about our call for a Great Digital Catch Up on our website.

Delivery plan summer update and next steps

Last month, Sprint 2 of the 2024 Delivery Plan to Close the Workforce Digital Skill Gap wrapped up and you can now read about the progress made and the achievements so far.

The sprint delivered progress across all seven workstreams and saw the launch of three new ‘vertical’ workstreams focused on the needs of SMEs, key sectors and regions.

Teams have continued to build the national narrative on the workforce digital skills gap, advanced work to quantify the economic and social impacts of workforce digital capability and continued to develop practical tools aimed at helping employers assess their skills gaps and upskill their workforce.

This short, 8 week sprint built upon the achievements of Sprint 1, positioning the teams well for the final sprint of the year that gets underway on Monday 16 September.

Read the Sprint 2 progress update

Connected Britain – free tickets

On Thursday 12 September, our CEO Liz Williams MBE will speak at the Connected Britain conference, at London’s ExCel, and we have 10 free guest passes to give away to FutureDotNow members.

A two-day event, from September 11-12, Connected Britain is one of the UK’s most important digital economy events, exploring how the UK can capitalise on the opportunities that digital infrastructure and emerging technologies bring.

To request a free guest pass, email [email protected].

Digital skills digest

The latest news on digital skills, the future of work and anything else we think you might find interesting!?If there’s anything you think we should include in future newsletters, let us know.

• Government digital inclusion roundtables This week, we were pleased to attend a series roundtables hosted by Good Things Foundation on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology exploring every aspect of digital inclusion. By considering essential skills, alongside access, digital services and confidence and engagement, we’re encouraged the new government is taking a broad view of an issue that impacts millions and look forward to seeing their next steps.