The Findings
Digital Jersey worked with the Marchmont Observatory, based at the University of Exeter, local Industry and Government, to assess the current provision of digital skills training in Jersey. This identified gaps and solutions to the supply of Jersey’s future digital workforce.
Objectives of the Digital Strategy
In 2018, Digital Jersey launched its Digital Skills Strategy. The strategy provides a road map that spans both employers and education, creating clear objectives, and laying the foundations for a successful local digital-tech workforce. This roadmap is outlined below.
Award & Assess
Industry accreditation of courses and where appropriate, assessment of skills.
To support Digital Jersey and Skills Jersey in assessing and awarding ‘digital training’ by co-certificating skills initiatives.
Industry Promotion & Engagement
Driving interest in, and awareness of, digital training and working opportunities.
To provide guidance and information to Digital Jersey and Skills Jersey to aid us in promoting the industry and its opportunities to key influencers, Jersey Nationals abroad, and the students themselves.
Develop & Deliver
Targeted creation and coordination of new courses.
To guide education partners in:
- Designing and implementing a Digital Degree Apprenticeship
- Hosting a programme of short-courses and training seminars
- Boosting student employability
- Addressing immediate skills needs by coordinating internships and work placements. For instance:
- University partnerships for year in industry placements etc.
- Opportunities for students in Jersey to boost their employability via ‘discover digital’ schemes
Suitable Resources
To guarantee the quality of delivery.
To guide the Education Department in identifying helpful resources that improve access to computing qualifications, this could include:
- Supporting the use of online learning
- The upgrading of IT equipment/infrastructure
- Creating opportunities for teachers to undertake secondments in industry, helping to ensure relevant learning is imparted on students.
Overview of Recommendations
Digital Skills Partnership
The Digital Skills Partnership is designed to bring together industry and education, to make our island’s workforce future proof. Providing clarity on employer needs and guidance to curricula design. The partnership will work together with Skills Jersey, the island’s central link between industry and education.
Digital Enterprise Academy
- A specialist and recognised campus for digital skills.
- Changing the face of post-secondary education in Jersey.
- Delivering industry led training.
- A collaborative partnership between industry and Skills Jersey to give leadership and direction to digital education and training.
- Develop an education foundation through securing the future of the Digital Enterprise Academy.
Labour Market Insights
- Continually monitoring the workforce skills profile and pipeline of skills from compulsory education.
- Working to understand industry’s evolving skills needs.
- Monitoring graduate retention from on and off-island.
Skills Escalator
- Raise the profile of on-island training pathways to a career in digital tech.
- Targeted intervention to create post-secondary training opportunities with all providers.
- Give oversight, quality assurance and industry accreditation to skills initiatives.
- Overseen by the Digital Skills Partnership, led by Digital Jersey.
Industry Promotion & Engagement
Student: Working to increase the pool of talent going from education into industry.
Educators: To bridge the gap between what students are being taught, and the needs of industry.
Influencers: To engage students’ key influencers, such as parents/guardians to promote the digital sector as a credible and desirable career choice.
Jersey Nationals Living Abroad: Creating greater connectivity between students studying relevant qualifications off-island and potential employers in Jersey.
The findings are provided in full detail in the document below.
Digital Skills Partners
