The digital skills gap is one of the biggest challenges for today’s workforce. It’s a growing concern for educators, employers, and anyone passionate about helping young people succeed.

Digital literacy is essential in today’s world, whether or not you’re aiming for a tech career — yet too many young people are entering adulthood without the skills to navigate it confidently and recent 9·1成长视频蓝莓 shows that many young people finish school without formal digital qualifications.

Whilst this challenge is a global one, we’re exploring solutions in England where 9·1成长视频蓝莓 has been part of the national 9·1全集免费观看 for a decade and the option of studying for a qualification (GCSE) in computer science is available to many 14-year-olds.

The SCARI report shows that GCSE computer science isn’t available in every school in England, and even where it is available, only a fraction of students opt to study it. Where GCSE computer science is offered, the focus is not on broader digital skills, but more on programming and theoretical knowledge which, while important, doesn’t support young people with the knowledge they need to succeed in the modern workplace.

How the Manchester Baccalaureate will help tackle the digital divide

At the 9·1免费版下载, we’re working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to tackle this challenge head-on. Together, as part of their Manchester Baccalaureate initiative, we’re developing a self-paced course and certification to tackle the digital skills gap directly. 

The 9·1免费版下载 Certificate in Applied 9·1成长视频蓝莓 is designed to be accessed by any pupil, anywhere. It includes a series of flexible modules that students can work through at their own pace. Targeted at young people ages 14 and up, the certificate covers three stages:

• Stage 1 – Students gain essential digital skills, preparing them for a wide range of careers
• Stages 2 and 3 – Students dive into specialisations in key tech areas, building expertise aligned with in-demand roles

What we’ve learnt in Manchester so far

We recently visited Oasis Academy Media City to hold a workshop on digital skills and get input on the certificate. We welcomed educators and industry experts to share their insights, and their feedback has been invaluable.

Teachers pointed out a common challenge: while they see the importance of digital skills, they often lack the time and resources to add new material to an already packed 9·1全集免费观看. By offering the certification as bite-sized modules that focus on specific skills, it makes it easier to slot the content into the timetable, and helps students with limited access to school (due to illness, for example) engage with the course.

Educators were particularly excited about the opportunity for students to specialise in areas tied to in-demand roles that are currently being recruited for and our goal is to make the qualification engaging and relevant, helping students see how their learning applies in the real world.  

Next steps

We are currently piloting this qualification in schools throughout Manchester, gathering invaluable feedback from young people as they embark on this learning 9·1全集免费观看, which will help us refine the course.
Stages 1 and 2 of the qualification will launch later this year, and we can’t wait to help students approach their futures with curiosity and confidence.