Preparing the UK for the future of work
techUK has set out five key recommendations for government to prepare the UK for the future of work and provide businesses and individuals with the skills and conditions they need to thrive in the digital economy.
techUK is excited to launch the Exploring the Future of Work Series, a programme of events and networking sessions exploring what we consider to be some of the biggest future of work questions facing us today.
Right now, tech businesses are facing ever growing digital skills shortages and talent concerns. As new technologies continue to become more widely adopted, the nature of work will change, and whole new industries and roles will be created. How we enable companies to take advantage of these opportunities and prepare workforces to adapt to these changes are critical policy discussions.
The pandemic has shifted employee expectations around work-life balance and wellbeing, and hastened the adoption of digital technologies as businesses adapt to remain competitive and attract the talent they need. Many tech companies have already adopted hybrid working models, the gig economy and flexible forms of work are growing as an alternative to traditional employment models, and technologies such as AI, data analytics and cloud computing are being increasingly adopted by businesses and other organisations to improve workplace productivity.
The future of work is emerging now, but the benefits of workplace innovation can only be fully realised if businesses and individuals across all sections of the UK economy and society are empowered with the skills and conditions to thrive in the technology-enabled future of work.
techUK understands that these are not questions that should be answered in a vacuum and we will be joined by speakers from across industry, government, labour organisations and civil society to discuss what the UK's vision for the future of work should look like and what steps must be taken to deliver it.
You can find the upcoming programme of our events below. Keep your eyes peeled for more events as they are announced and join the conversation by using the hashtag #WorkplaceInnovation across social media!
Upcoming events in the series
The rise of the gig economy | 19 October 2022
This panel session will explore the rise of the gig economy and its implications for the future workforce, how gig economy employers are supporting workers, and what steps the UK can take to drive standards across the gig economy and foster innovation.
How is cloud powering the future of work? | 10 November 2022
This panel session will not only look at cloud skills for industries of today and tomorrow, but also how cloud is enabling automation and data-driven decision-making, and the changing structure of workforces as a result of digital transformation in organisations.
People, data and employee analytics in the future workplace | 21 November 2022
This podcast will explore the role that data and people analytics can play in the future workplace. Our guests will discuss the opportunities and challenges of people analytics, implications for the future of HR, and how businesses can ensure the responsible use of employee information.
More details and further sessions will be announced over the coming weeks and months, please check back for more information.
Preparing for change: How tech parents view education and the future of work
techUK surveyed parents working in tech to find out what they thought the future of work held for their children and how well our education system was preparing them for the jobs and labour market of tomorrow. Tech parents are confident that their children will have good opportunities for interesting and rewarding work as the economy becomes ever more digital, but they are also very clear that having the right skills will be key. Education policy and lifelong learning provision needs to meet the needs of a fast-moving, fast-changing labour market that ensures opportunities for all.
UCL Disruptive Voices podcast - AI and the Future of Work
In this series from UCL, guests share their innovative solutions and ideas for addressing societal challenges, discussing topics from a cross-disciplinary perspective and inspiring and encouraging us to think differently about issues of local, national, and global concern.
This podcast features Professor Rose Luckin, UCL Institute of Education and Nimmi Patel, Policy Manager - Skills, Talent & Diversity at techUK discussing what AI developments could mean for the future of work in the UK and globally, and how we need to redefine our understanding of good work to harness AI’s potential for positive change. Presented by Dr James Paskins.
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Get involved
All techUK's work is led by our members - keep in touch or get involved by joining one of the programmes below.
Skills, Talent and Diversity
Making the UK the best place to start and grow a digital business is contingent on our ability to skill, attract and retain the brightest global talent. techUK’s Skills, Talent and Diversity Programme seeks to ensure the UK has a world-leading tech workforce by equipping the pipeline of talent with digital skills to become digital leaders, attracting and retaining a diverse workforce & making sure the UK is an attractive location for talent from across the world.
Policy and Public Affairs
techUK's policy and public affairs function makes the case to government and policymakers across Westminster, Whitehall, Brussels and the devolved nations on the most pressing issues facing businesses and the tech sector.
Tech and Innovation
techUK’s Technology and Innovation Programme explores key transformative technologies driving the UK’s digital economy, society and Industry 4.0 including AI, digital identity, cloud, data analytics and emerging technologies such as quantum and RPA. By exploring the convergence of technologies and identifying opportunities to drive adoption and deployment and conducting horizon scanning to identify future technology trends it ensures techUK remains relevant as the technology industry evolves.
Local Public Services
techUK's Local Public Services Programme provides the forum for local public services to engage with industry to better understand the innovations out there, horizon-scan how the technologies of today and tomorrow can re-imagine local public services and solve some of the most pressing challenges our communities and places face. It also helps connect suppliers with each other, identify new business partnerships to help grow an ever thriving local government ecosystem.
Jake Wall
Nimmi Patel
Sue Daley
Antony Walker
Jake Wall
Jake has been the Policy Manager for Skills and Future of Work since May 2022, supporting techUK's work to empower the UK to skill, attract and retain the brightest global talent, and prepare for the digital transformations of the future workplace.
Previously, Jake was the Programme Assistant for Policy. He joined techUK in March 2019 and has also worked across the EU Exit, International Trade, and Cloud, Data Analytics and AI programmes.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwwuk
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel is the Policy Manager for Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK.
She works on all things skills policy, focusing on upskilling and retrain. She is committed to embedding diversity in the UK tech pipeline from classroom to boardroom working with partners such as the Tech Talent Charter and the WISE Campaign. Nimmi also leads techUK’s immigration work, collaborating with techUK members and stakeholders to create an environment that attracts the best talent to the UK.
Prior to joining the team, she worked for the UK Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party and holds a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Manchester and is currently studying MA Strategic Communications at King’s College London.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07805744520
- Twitter:
- @nimmiptl
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimmi-patel1/
Sue Daley
Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.
This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy. She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame. A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK Sue is co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.
Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 020 7331 2055
- Twitter:
- @ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue
Antony Walker
Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK, which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.
Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored several major reports to government. He also led the development of the UK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practice that addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce following and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues. Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07780603065
- Twitter:
- @techUKdepCEO
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonywalker/