A lack of support for upskilling is holding back over 55s despite demand for training in digital skills, new research from AND Digital has revealed.

Nearly a third (31%) of over 55s want to improve their digital skills to allow for career progression, but they are not being encouraged or supported by their organisations with training to do so.

Digital skills across the UK are severely lacking, with 61% of Uk businesses saying their growht depends on digital outcomes. 81% of managing directors also admit that a lack of digital skills is negatively impacting their organisation.

Despite the urgent need for digitally skilled employees and the desire from over 55s for those skills, 60% of over 55s have not received digital upskilling from their employer.

Further adding to the issue, nearly a fifth of over 55s feel they lack sufficient digital skills even for their current job roles.

Even so, workers often find the prospect of upskilling daunting, and are reluctant to bring the issue up to their employers. The perceived stigma also affects younger employess, with two fifths (40%) of 18-34 year olds saying they are embarrassed by their lack of digital skills, as their youth would typically signal a certain level of digital aptitude to their employer.

The research also demonstrates that upskilling efforts should be tailored by age. Over 55s, for example, are more likely to prefer receiving training on the job (45%) than their younger cohorts. 18-35-year-olds, on the other hand, are more likely to prefer to upskill by reading and consuming content, such as LinkedIn and news articles (22%), than over 55s (11%).

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“Many organisations are missing an untapped opportunity to increase their digital capabilities by not nurturing existing talent and upskilling more mature employees in technical digital skills,” Harriet Perks, London Learning and Development Lead at AND Digital said.

“It is vital that we build on the valuable experience in human skills, such as communicating with empathy and problem solving, that many mature workers have accrued during their careers and can bring to existing digital teams. Not only will this mean organisations are fit for a digital future and see continued economic growth, but it will also enable all people to keep earning and progressing in their careers at a time of economic uncertainty.

“For this to happen, business leaders must help to reduce the embarrassment and stigma all age groups feel around their capabilities and what they’d like to advance. The issue is too important to skirt around, meaning training can no longer assume a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and must be tailored to ensure we do our employees and organisations justice.”

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