Talking Talent @ London Tech Week 2023
techUK and its members had a busy London Tech Week (LTW). As proud supporting partners, we were delighted to celebrate its 10th year. Skills and the future of work were the topic of conversation at the Transformation Stage on Day 3. This year the conference welcomed 15,500 attendees to the LTW campus and, the Transformation Stage held 350 people seated and was absolutely packed across the three days.
Sheila Flavell, COO of FDM Group and President of techUK, chaired the Transformation Stage. The stage explored how as innovation and tech continue to lead instrumental change in the way we work, investing in talent and skills, understanding the employee experience, and creating an inclusive culture needs to remain top of mind for business leaders.
New drive to better understand the role of AI in education: As part of the government’s wider work to make the most out of the technology, the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education launched the new call for evidence which asks for views on risks, ethical considerations, and training for education workers. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard are already making a difference in schools, but more work is needed to understand the benefits and get ahead of the risks that the technology could bring. This includes how AI could be used to reduce workload, improve outcomes, and run operations more efficiently as well as work around misuse such as essay bots and cheating in exams. techUK will be responding to the call for evidence. Please get in touch to find out more.
Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:
AI promises to be one of the most impactful technologies of our lifetimes, and the UK is well positioned to be one of the leading countries unlocking the opportunities of this technology.
However, in our UK Tech Plan, we stressed the importance of continuing to ensure we increase access to talent to both seize the benefits of AI and guard against its risks. Ending digital poverty is crucial if the UK aims to lead the conversation on AI on a global scale.
The tech sector stands ready and willing to work closely with government and the education sector to ensure we can use AI in the best possible way to support pupils and educate them as they prepare to enter an increasingly digitally savvy workforce.
Recruiting revolution: techUK member Academy led a session on how organisations looking to recruit or expand globally need to look past the traditional signifiers of elite talent and turn their attention to the capabilities and soft skills needed for the role. Research shows that recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce will lead to different skills and ways of thinking, as well as new approaches to problem-solving. To do this and more, companies will need to utilise human centred technology and implement the necessary adjustments to attract, recruit, develop and retain employees with different needs and how to become more confident in doing so.
The next generation: techUK member Bright Network spoke on a panel exploring how businesses can better engage with Gen Z. The labour force participation rate of Gen Z is 71% compared with 75% for millennials, making them a hot commodity in the labour force.
Human potential: I chaired a session which included Pluralsight & IBM which discussed the most interesting workplace technologies today and of the future and how with all this innovation do we lead through the digital transformation
This is a very brief snapshot into a packed week, please do get in touch to find out more.
See you next year!
Authors
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers and governments.