Lords Committee assesses state of digital skills in the UK
Experts in creativity and the UK's changing workforce to give evidence
A new House of Lords Committee looking at the country's digital competitiveness will hold its first evidence session on Tuesday 8 July.
The House of Lords Committee on Digital Skills will hear from, among others, the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times Martin Wolf, and Professor Judy Wajcman, Head of the Sociology Department at the London School of Economics (LSE).
Witnesses will be asked to provide an overview of the technology landscape, here and globally, and how the UK needs to adapt its economy and its workforce to remain competitive.
There will be two evidence sessions. In the first one, at 1:15pm, the Committee will hear from Martin Wolf, Economics Journalist, Financial Times, Jessica Bland, Senior Researcher in Technology Futures, Nesta and Oliver Quinlan, Programme Manager, Digital Education, Nesta.
The second session will start at approximately 2:15pm, with the Committee to take evidence from Professor Judy Wajcman, Department of Sociology at the LSE, Professor Alan Manning, Department of Economics at the LSE and Professor Phillip Brown, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University.
Other questions the witnesses will face include:
- What are the big future-technology innovations?
- How is the UK economy prepared for them?
- What do we need to do to become globally competitive?
- Are we teaching the right skills?
- Will we have a workforce adequately prepared for, and keen to work in, the new digital landscape?
- How are we engaging all members of our society, particularly women?
The evidence sessions will take place in Committee Room 2A on Tuesday 8 July, the first starting at 1:15pm.
