The UK workforce is undergoing radical transformation, as the ‘great resignation’ signals a thirst for change.
A survey by BT has revealed that - given the opportunity - 69 per cent of the workforce would choose to reskill.
The sectors topping the list for people wanting to making the switch to, are technology - cited by 60 per cent; health at 17 per cent and finance 10 per cent.
Of the UK’s adult workforce, 22 per cent revealed that they were not happy in their current job and 42 per cent feel trapped - unable to find a way to change their present career path, feeling that the barriers to gaining the required skills to make a change are too great.
The research has shown that 31 per cent of the workforce wishing to change believe they are too old to learn new skills; 28 per cent state that the uncertainty of being accepted by a new industry is their biggest worry and 24 per cent said they cannot afford to take the time off to study.
In addition to this, 8 per cent of employees are fearful that their current job would be at risk if their employer knew of their interest in different work - and that number increases to 19 per cent amongst 18–24-year-olds, who say that their greatest barrier to retraining is lack of knowledge on how to change their situation.
As a result of this, BT has announced that they are launching a pilot cyber security reskilling programme in collaboration with CAPSLOCK - an award-winning cyber security training organisation. This will enable current BT employees to retrain, equipping them with the skills needed to pursue a career in Security - whilst still being paid their normal wage.
Having graduated, BT’s new cyber employees will become Protectors. They will contribute to the protection of BT, their UK customers, government and critical national infrastructure.
Kevin Brown - Managing Director, BT Security - said:
“There simply aren’t enough people with the necessary skills to fill the amount of cyber security jobs available. The ‘cyber skills gap’ is a hot topic in the security industry, and this pilot reskilling programme with CAPSLOCK is a key part of how we’re working to develop the next generation of cyber security professionals. The scheme is all about opening doors for those who might not have seen an obvious way into a security career, and we’re welcoming people who have different skillsets, backgrounds and ages as we’re really looking for a diverse range of talent across our security team.”
Dr Andrea Cullen - Co-founder at CAPSLOCK - stated:
“Our mission in partnership with BT is to enable anybody with potential to enrol and change careers into cyber security. Importantly, we want to change perceptions that it is not just technical skills that are required to do well in this sector. The reality is that the field needs a broad array of skills and experts to fill a range of roles, many of which rely on transferable skills that many people already possess, and the holistic cyber skills which are developed throughout the CAPSLOCK course. With the right attitude and determination, anybody – no matter their past experience, education or age – has the potential to start a career in IT, technology, or cyber security.”
