2nd April 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Research carried out by the Prince’s trust suggests that a lack of computer skills could be detrimental to young people trying to establish a career. Results showed that more than one in 10 young people do not believe their computer skills are adequate enough for the jobs they want to secure. This was based on interviews with 1.378 British young people aged between 15 and 25 as well as 265 ‘Neets’ who are those not in education, training or employment.
This follows a £500,000 donation to the charity last year by hip hop singer will.i.am who wanted it to be used on projects to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills. He claimed to have been intimidated by science and advance maths when he was younger but is now taking a computer science course because he is ‘passionate about where the world’s going, curious about it and I want to contribute’. He donated his fee that he was paid by the BBC for appearing on the talent show The Voice.
The survey revealed that one in 10 unemployed people are unable to send their CVs online while a quarter are filled with dread at the idea of completing online applications for jobs. Furthermore, a tenth of Neets admitted to being embarrassed by their lack of computer skills and 17% said that they would not apply for jobs that required basic computer knowledge. These results were released in conjunction with the launch of a new Prince’s Trust program to attract pupils to the study of science and technology.
The Trust is using will.i.am’s generous donation to reach out to those young people at risk of exclusion and under-achievement with a scheme through which staff from the Science Museum will visit Prince’s Trust clubs in schools. Furthermore, the donation will help to engage young people with science and technology while they still attend school as well as providing more access to IT to support those trying to get into work and help others set up technology-related businesses.