Background research

The Yorkshire & Humberside ranks 8th amongst the nine English regions according to the size of its IT workforce – with 26,276 employees in the IT industry and 41,528 IT professionals working across other sectors, making a total Yorkshire & Humberside IT workforce of 67,804.

In addition out of a general workforce of some 2.25 million, an estimated 1.5 million people in the region use IT in their day to day work.

Employers in Yorkshire & Humberside identified that by 2008, 96,000 business managers will need to improve their routine IT user skills and 70,000 will need to improve their IT professional skills.

For the current IT user workforce there is a need for the upskilling of up to 840,000 people, 238,000 to address current gaps and 602,000 people to address the 2008 forecast.

These findings were taken from e-skills UK 2005 'IT Insights: Regional Skills in Yorkshire and Humberside' report. The report is one of a set of 11 reports for the nine English regions, Scotland and Wales, which can be downloaded free of charge at www.e-skills.com/itinsights.

NB - We have just carried out some extensive research to provide an update on the IT Insights 2004-05 data. The headline report 'Technology Counts: IT and Telecoms Insights 2008' is now available to download at www.e-skills.com/insights08. A suite of 'IT & Telecoms Insights 2008: Regional/National Skills Analysis' reports are being finalised and will be available at a later date.

Digital 2010 - Skills for a Connected Region

Digital 2010 is an Action Plan that sets the compass for successful development of digital and ICT skills across Yorkshire and the Humber for the next three years. It involves a partnership of all those across the region who plan, fund or deliver education and training to improve digital skills.

The Action Plan sets out 37 Actions focusing on the full range of education and training from schools through to professional development. A new online facility has been set up to show the progress against the 37 Actions and to raise the profile of the people and the projects that are driving digital skills activity across all sectors of the regional economy, as well as for citizens.

For the latest news and stories, visit www.digital2010.org.uk.

Last modified: 12 Dec 2008