- More than half (54%) of UK pupils aged 16-18 think the
pandemic caused greater disruption to their skills-based learning -
essential for work - than their academic learning
- Less than half (47%) believe their school education has
prepared them for a job
- More than two in five (44%) planning to pursue an
apprenticeship or job feel they don't have many skills to make them
stand out and less than half (46%) know how to obtain such
skills
LONDON, June 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half
(54%) of UK pupils aged 16-18 believe the COVID-19 pandemic caused
greater disruption to their employable skills-based learning - such
as data analysis and communication skills - than to their learning
of academic subjects, leaving them less prepared to enter the
workforce, according to a new survey from Tableau, the world's
leading analytics platform (NYSE: CRM).
The nationwide research, which explored the impact of lockdown
on the education of pupils in years' 10-13, also found that less
than half (47%) of students feel that their school education has
prepared them for the world of work, while almost two fifths (38%)
are unaware of the key skills sought after by employers.
A Royal Society report during lockdown suggested that
school time lost because of the pandemic could harm the UK economy
for the next 65 years due to its negative impact on the future
skills of the workforce.
Discussing the results in relation to the UK's data skills gap,
Professor Pat Tissington, Academic
Director of Employability and Skills at University of Warwick said: "To speed up the UK's
economic recovery, it is vital that educational institutions
prepare pupils for the world of work and give greater focus to the
skills that are becoming increasingly important for employers, such
as data analysis.
"Data skills are relevant for a wide range of roles, yet the
research from Tableau shows that almost half (47%) of students find
the concept of data analysis a little scary. This precedes the
pandemic; in the last two years almost half (46%) of UK businesses
have struggled to recruit for roles that require data skills. More
needs to be done to equip pupils with the digital skills they need
in the workplace if the UK is to avoid a huge data skills gap."
For UK employers, the need for digital skills has spread far
beyond traditional IT job roles, with two in three (68%) job
postings outside the technology sector seeking data-literate
candidates and many lower-skilled roles demanding basic data
literacy skills.
Meanwhile the lack of data-driven skills could have a severe
impact on the UK economy - costing as much as £2billion
annually.
Commenting on the results of the survey, Dan Pell, General Manager and Senior Vice
President for EMEA at Tableau commented: "Although lockdown
disrupted skills learning, we know that there was already a problem
with data skills education. This seriously limits career
opportunities for young people right across the country, and those
who aren't able to demonstrate data skills will be at the back of
the jobs queue.
"We're not just talking about skills for jobs in the tech
industry here; we're talking about skills used daily in almost
every job - the confidence to handle and understand data. Building
back better is a unique opportunity for a resetting of priorities
when it comes to ensuring our children are best prepared for life
beyond school."
As well as feeling unprepared for work, the study also found
that 80% of pupils would like schools to work more closely with
businesses to make education more relevant to employers.
Dan Pell added: "At Tableau, we
know it's not just the responsibility of schools and colleges to
teach pupils the digital skills they need - but future employers
too. For this reason, we have free data literacy e-learning courses
for young people and adults, to help anyone learn the foundational
data skills they need for the ever-evolving digital requirements of
employers."
Tableau free e-learning courses provide an introduction to
data skills and are accessible from any device with an internet
connection. Students who have completed courses can add them to job
application forms and university and college applications.
Research methodology
The survey by Vitreous World, commissioned by Tableau, was
conducted to gain insight into UK pupils and their understanding of
employer wants and sentiment towards data analysis. The
quantitative survey was conducted in May - June 2021, at a +/- 3.1% margin of error, and
interviewed 1,005 students in the UK, with equal representation
across years 10, 11, 12 and 13.
About Tableau, a Salesforce company
Tableau helps people see and understand data. Tableau's
self-service analytics platform empowers people of any skill level
to work with data. From individuals and non-profits to government
agencies and the Fortune 500, tens of thousands of customers around
the world rely on Tableau's advanced analytics capabilities to make
impactful, data-driven decisions. For more information, please
visit www.tableau.com.
About Salesforce
Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship
Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in
the digital age. Founded in 1999, Salesforce enables companies of
every size and industry to take advantage of powerful
technologies—cloud, mobile, social, internet of things, artificial
intelligence, voice and blockchain—to create a 360-degree view of
their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM),
visit: www.salesforce.com
About Vitreous World
Vitreous World is a leading consultancy delivering global data
solutions to marketing and media industry stakeholders. The core
team currently has over 200 years of collective research knowledge
and is the home of trusted data. The experienced team has founded –
or joined – some of the industry's leading accreditation schemes
including being founders of the Public Relations and Communications
Association Research Best Practice Committee, and a Market Research
Society Company Partner. For more information, please visit
www.vitreousworld.com.
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