New digital skills action plan

The Department for the Economy's (DfE) Digital Skills Action Plan has been developed to help create alternative pathways into the digital sector.

Advanced digital skills and a digitally competent workforce are essential for the innovation potential and continued competitiveness of the digital sector.

Alternative pathways into the digital sector

The Digital Skills Action Plan sets out how digital skills will be nurtured and supported over the next decade by creating alternative pathways into the digital sector. There are a number of pathways to enter the digital sector and DfE aims to make these as inclusive as possible. These pathways are typically through:

• Further Education (FE) Colleges
• Apprenticeships
• Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) and;
• Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

DfE will continue to explore opportunities to broaden the appeal and expand the reach of these programmes and remove as many barriers to entry as possible. Equally, employers must do more to ensure they are recruiting the best talent for the job, enabling all people, regardless of their abilities, to be considered equally for work.

The Digital Skills Action Plan has been developed through collaboration between experts from industry, academia, and government.

Read the Digital Skills Action Plan 2024-2034.

First published 26 September 2024