Almost three quarters (71%) of people in the West Midlands lack the full essential digital skills set required for the modern workplace, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index.
The study found that only 29% of people in the West Midlands had the full essential digital skills for work, compared to the UK average of 47%, meaning they were unable to use digital skills in the workplace to problem solve, communicate or operate safely online when required in the workplace.
Outside of the workplace almost one in five (18%) lack the full essential digital skills they need, which leaves them struggling with tasks like changing settings on a device (14%), updating passwords (14%) and opening different applications (13%). One in eight (13%) had little or no digital skills and classified themselves as ‘digitally disengaged’, slightly higher than the UK average (12%).
The research found that one in four (25%) residents lack confidence in their digital skills and a further 11% of people in the region are completely offline – meaning they risk missing out on benefits like better work prospects, improved communication with friends and family and financial savings.
Of those not online, 74% say worries about identity theft stop them from accessing the internet.
Jo Harris, Lloyds Banking Group Ambassador for the Midlands, said: “While residents in the region have a good grasp of the digital skills required for life, many don’t have the essential skills that employers are looking for in the modern workplace.
“As part of our commitment to helping Britain prosper we’re providing digital skills training to individuals, businesses and charities in the region and have almost 3,000 Digital Champions on hand to help people improve their digital capabilities.”
Workers with digital skills earn more
Nationally, the study found that those workers with digital skills earn on average £12,500 more per year than those without.
Despite the lack of skills and increasing demand from employers, almost two thirds (63%) of workers have not received any digital skills training from their employer – including more than half (54%) of those in managerial roles and almost three quarters (71%) of manual workers.
Those working in manufacturing have the lowest level of digital skills (36%) compared to 80% in the finance, insurance and property sectors according to the report.
