With the demand for highly skilled workers in STEM roles on the rise, it comes as no surprise that technology workers can expect the biggest rises in salaries this coming year. Regina Moran, VP, Head of Industry Consulting and Software Solutions, EMEIA BAS Fujitsu.

In what is an increasingly digitally-led business environment, STEM and digital skills are essential to the UK, both within technology firms and across virtually all other sectors. Indeed, it was our Fit for Digital study which found over a fifth of UK businesses say the factor preventing them from responding to digital disruptors like Amazon or Uber is a lack of the right skills and talent. But it doesn’t stop there. With the study predicting that 44 percent of UK organisations will not exist in their current form by 2021, we need to be thinking now about how we can equip the workforce adequately with the next set of digital skills that will be expected by employers.

But why are we facing this shortage? The simple truth is that STEM subjects continue to suffer from a long-standing image problem. It’s often assumed that the only jobs you can get with a degree in maths or engineering are highly technical, difficult or dull. With the skills gap costing our economy a jaw-dropping £63 billion a year, education institutions, public and private organisations and especially parents all have a responsibility to tackle these prejudices and showcase how exciting digital jobs can be, both within tech and other sectors.

Technology is being used to address some of the most crucial issues in the world, and solutions are becoming ever more people-centric. Creativity and innovation can be as important as technical skill in fast-moving digital jobs that present new challenges every day. To help address the looming skills gap, we need to ensure we are investing at the very beginning of the digital journey and developing the right skills to support the future digital economy. After all, we owe it to our children, the digital generation.