Alongside careers in digital, data and technology continuing to grow, digital technology now plays an important (and growing) role in almost every job. Equipping young people today with the skills for this digitally driven world is more crucial than ever.
The multi-year Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing1 in the UK found a large increase in job adverts mentioning IT and data skills over recent years and reminded us that the widespread demand for these skills shows “they are not exclusive to ‘high-tech’ jobs”.
Digital and human skills – a winning combination?
The new digital divide is not just about access to the internet and devices but about the proficiency gap between students who have the skills to succeed and those who do not.
The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 20252 found the top 10 skills employers valued for the future include cognitive skills, self-efficacy skills and attitudes, with creative thinking, resilience and empathy.
The evidence shows that many of these skills are the most resistant to automation – to being replaced by a robot, or perhaps a new chatbot – and indeed help us get the most out of technology. Many of us will have had the frustration of experiencing first hand that the results we get back from our new AI assistants are only as good as the questions we ask – shaped by however much creativity and communication we can muster in our prompts.
Fostering human skills alongside technical proficiency is the most effective route to a workforce that is not only digitally literate but also equipped to navigate a rapidly changing world of work. This mix of digital and human skills can give young people the confidence and practical know-how to succeed – whether that’s in a traditional job that increasingly requires digital technology, or by diversifying and broadening the talent pipeline into the tech industry, which is one of the fastest growing in the UK.
What is Work Ready?
Work Ready is BT Group’s brand new education programme for students aged 11-14. It focusses on boosting career confidence by connecting students of all socio-economic backgrounds with the right skills, experiences, role models and opportunities to help them succeed in a future shaped by technology and digital advancements.
Work Ready has three levels of support available for busy educators:
- A free, on-demand content hub packed with curriculum-linked classroom content, inspiring careers videos from BT Group employees, and bespoke guidance for educators.
- Virtual Work Ready bootcamps, facilitated 2-hour online events for schools bringing topics to life for students. The bootcamps help students recognise their own strengths, hear from BT Group employees, and ask questions.
- Full day, in-person events to take digital skills learning even further. These give school groups the chance to experience and fully immerse themselves in digital skills.
What Work Ready support is right for my school?
Content hub: Work Ready’s curriculum-linked modules bring four core areas of tech to life; AI, Cybersecurity, Healthcare and Internet of Things. These are exciting areas at the cutting-edge of the new world of work, and each are areas where BT Group innovation can inspire students.
Through project-based learning, students will discover and experience the importance of these areas in our everyday lives and learn how building their digital skills can equip them to thrive in their futures.
Work Ready Virtual bootcamps are two-hour inspiring and empowering sessions for students to explore what we mean by digital skills, recognise strengths they already have, and feel more confident about their work readiness.
Facilitated remotely and beamed directly into classrooms or school halls, students can interact with the facilitator and BT Group colleagues to learn more about a variety of careers, explore the future of tech, and understand how it might shape the jobs they do in the future, whatever their aspirations.
In-person events are run in BT Group offices across the UK. The full-day event takes students on a journey through identifying what digital skills are, hearing from BT Group colleagues in a variety of roles, and putting all that new knowledge into practise by taking part in the design challenge. We’ve already welcomed students in Belfast, Newcastle and London to some fantastic, lively sessions. One teacher in Northern Ireland who attended an in-person workshop said “A brilliant day! Invaluable for students, thanks to all involved.”
How can schools get involved?
Visit bt.com/WorkReady today where you will find all downloadable resources and information on how to register for upcoming events. Events will be running throughout the year for schools UK-wide. Submit your details via our expression of interest form to be kept up to date with all events.
Explore the programme today for everything you need to get your students Work Ready. No matter their starting point, or yours.
- Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing ↩︎
- The Future of Jobs Report 2025 | World Economic Forum ↩︎
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