The document, supported by representatives from across the sector, has made several recommendations needed to make the target, including the reform of IT-related education, an update to the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) policy, and the need to incentivise individuals to improve their IT skills.

e-Skills UK has argued for greater levels of innovation and productive from both private and public sectors, and explained in a statement, “In the modern world, it is technology that enables innovation, spawns new industries and creates new sources of wealth.”

“Modern economies are driven by skilled people who create and use technology. The UK needs more, many more, of these skilled people. The UK is home to world class technology companies, but it is not keeping up with the world’s pace setters in technology skills.”

Paul Coby, CIO and head of BA Services, British Airways and chair of e-skills UK’s CIO Board, said technology was an enabler for an economic and social revolution. “Technology is changing the way people work and interact. It is creating new sources of wealth. It will enable us to find new answers to the big global problems of famine, disease and climate change,” he explained. “As employers, through e-skills UK, we are putting our collective efforts into creating the skills we will need for this technology-enabled future. We need to prioritise the e-skilling of the UK as crucial to the future of the economy”.

Larry Hirst, chairman of IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa and chair of e-skills UK, said “Partnership between employers and government is the key to making sure the UK has the technology skills it needs. With e-skills UK, we are placing particular focus on inspiring young people about technology and improving their experience of studying technology at school. We also need to make employer-backed IT degrees central to the STEM agenda, and help more smaller companies to exploit and innovate through IT”.