Why is interest in technology waning in our schools? Does this matter and how can we reverse this trend? (FT.com)

Why is interest in technology waning in our schools? Does this matter and how can we reverse this trend?
By Karen Price, chief executive of e-skills UK

Published: November 10 2008 10:34 | Last updated: November 10 2008 10:34

Today’s young people are tomorrow’s technology specialists, inventors and entrepreneurs; they are tomorrow’s business leaders managing IT-enabled change; and they are tomorrow’s users of technology-based products and services. They will be your company’s competitors, customers and employees.

And it seems fewer and fewer of them want to learn about technology.

IT and telecommunications represent the engine of future growth and are key to increasing productivity and competitiveness. Half of Europe’s productivity gains in recent years can be attributed to investments in IT. IT and telecoms already contribute £51.9bn to the UK economy every year – 5 per cent of the total UK economy – and provide jobs for one in 20 of the UK’s workforce.

The potential for future benefits are even more dramatic. According to recent e-skills UK research, fully exploiting technology is the single most important step the UK can take to improve productivity across the economy, generating an additional £35bn for the UK economy over the next decade.

But the long term strength of the UK’s technology sector, and of increasingly technology-enabled sectors such as financial services and biotechnology, is threatened by two worrying trends: a massive decline in the number of young people choosing to study technology at school and university, and a disconnect between the skills young people learn and the skills employers need.

The statistics make grim reading: the number of people taking the more technical A-level in Computing has fallen by 50 per cent since 2003, and just 9.5 per cent of candidates this year were female. This year also saw a drop of 14 per cent on 2007 in the number of people taking a GCSE in ICT (which focuses on the use of IT). UK applications to IT-related degrees have fallen by 50 per cent in the last five years.

Where is it all going wrong? Technology should be one of the most exhilarating subjects to study. It underpins every aspect of our lives and plays an increasingly pivotal role in everything from healthcare and entertainment to banking and sport. Today’s young generation has grown up with technology: they are “digital natives”. Yet somehow the enthusiasm and excitement young people have for their personal technology such as mobile phones, virtual networks and games consoles is not translating into the classroom.

Research by e-skills UK has revealed two main drivers behind this lack of interest. First, a negative image of the way in which the subject is taught at school, and, second, widespread misconceptions about the reality of a career in IT.

So what can and should be done about this?

In the first instance, we need a radical review of all technology curriculums. Technology education needs to inform and inspire young people about technology. Young people need opportunities to see cutting edge technology in action in order to discover for themselves the excitement and relevance of a career in IT. This is one area where the new Diploma in IT will make a real and very positive difference.

In addition, technology education needs to help young people develop the increasingly sophisticated blend of technical, business and communications skills they will require for an IT professional or business career. The UK’s IT industry operates in a global labour market. Many IT activities are now being sourced from outside the UK – for example, from countries such as India and China which produce ever-increasing numbers of highly qualified technology graduates – while IT professional job roles in the UK are increasingly focused on highly skilled, business-focused and customer-facing roles. This places considerable demands on the UK’s education system and on what is required from young people entering technology careers.

A technology education benefits all young people regardless of their ultimate career choice – it helps to develop numerate and creative graduates who can add real value in a wide range of roles where logical thinking and problem solving are cherished.

At e-skills UK we are working hard to reverse these negative trends. Through a number of pioneering programmes we are bringing together employers, government and academia to help inspire and invigorate technology education and transform young people’s attitudes towards IT. There are many opportunities for business to get involved.

Young people are our future. We can help to give them the start they need to succeed in a technology-enabled world.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008