Do you get nervous when the wifi goes down? Panicked when you’ve got no data on your phone?
As unbelievable as this might sound, 1 in 10 people in Britain have never suffered these first world problems. Shockingly, according to a new report, they’ve never used the internet.
This is no laughing matter.
Today a group of MPs slammed our woeful digital skills crisis saying it hurts our economy to the tune of £63 billion a year.
Digital luddites left out of jobs
In a world where a quarter of employers won’t even look at someone without digital skills, the Science and Technology Committee warns the UK will need 745,000 extra skilled workers by 2017.
Without immigration it will be impossible to fill the gap. Today’s news must be music to the EU remain campaign’s ears.
12.6m adults also lack essential skills that are holding them back from everyday life including online banking, using a search engine and even posting on social media.
Light at the end of the tunnel
There may be good news around the corner. The committee recommends rules on immigration to be reviewed to allow more tech specialists into the country and an overhaul of our digital skills training in schools and universities.
Read the full report here and weep.
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