Nearly half in UK 'have not mastered digital skills most jobs require'

Almost half of people do not have the digital skills needed for most jobs, a new report says.

Research by Barclays Bank showed that employers will pay a premium of up to £10,000 a year for people with skills such as programming and software design.

A study of 88,000 job adverts and a survey of 6,000 adults found that almost two thirds of jobs called for some form of skill in areas including word processing, database spreadsheets or social media.

Just over half of those questioned had these capabilities, and the mismatch is set to worsen as the pace of technological change quickens, said the report.

Ashok Vaswani, chief executive of Barclays UK, said: "People's level of digital prowess is fast becoming a key determinant of their earning power, yet the UK today is a patchwork of digital skills.

"Where you live, how old you are, what you do and your education level have an impact on your digital abilities and confidence."

AP