Digital skills of Welsh workers lag behind rest of UK

As the second day of Digital Festival commences in Cardiff, new research from banking giant Barclays has found that Welsh workers' digital skills lag behind the rest of the UK.

The Barclays Digital Development Index 2017, which analysed 88,000 UK job adverts and 6,000 adults, claims that Welsh employees score among the lowest of all UK regions for their digital skills.

Above just the East of England and South East, Welsh respondents only scored 5.28 out of 10 in a digital skills test used for The Index.

And while 20% of individuals in Wales are aware that help is available when it comes to digital training, only 4% have taken action.

That said, the report said Welsh employers are willing to pay a premium for workers with word processing, data analysis and social media capabilities.

Kath Myers, Barclays Community Banking Managing Director for Wales, said: "People's level of digital prowess is fast becoming a key determinant of their earning power, yet the UK today is a patchwork of digital skills.

"Where you live, how old you are, what you do and your education level have an impact on your digital abilities and confidence.

Nicholas Fearn is a freelance technology journalist and copywriter from the Welsh valleys. His work has appeared in publications such as the FT, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, the Next Web, T3, Android Central, Computer Weekly, and many others. He also happens to be a diehard Mariah Carey fan. You can follow Nicholas on Twitter.