SMEs are being offered the opportunity to learn vital digital skills for free in a tie-up between BT and the Google Digital Garage. The sessions are part of BT’s Skills for Tomorrow initiative designed to empower 10 million people with new skills. BT is working together with leading digital skills organisations to gather the best courses and information.
At the initial training event at Glasgow Science Centre, hundreds of businesses received advice on how to build a digital marketing plan; use data analytics to find new insights; and how to ensure greater visibility online. Event leaders also helped with growing a business internationally and using social media to reach new customers.
This comes off the back of BT’s latest research tapping into SME opportunities and challenges, heading in to the New Year. Almost 30% of SMEs agree that acquiring the right digital skills in business and enhancing online presence is a key challenge in the next 12 months. And, almost 40% of Scottish SMEs believe that BT should play a role in providing digital skills training.
Scotland faces a digital skills gap, which is having a profound impact on the country. The rapid pace of change is leaving people behind – as many as 11.3m UK adults and 10% of the UK workforce lack basic digital skills.
The tech sector is forecast to be the fastest growing sector in Scotland to 2024, in terms of GVA – growing more than twice as fast as the economy overall. This digital skills gap is costing the UK economy an estimated £63bn a year, according to BT’s latest Digital Impact and Sustainability Report.
To read more about the digital sessions follow the link below:
https://dailybusinessgroup.co.uk/2019/12/bt-and-google-bring-digital-skills-to-sme-owners/
