The evolving demand for digital skills: 1965 - 2025 and beyondDigital skills have evolved From technical to applications and AI-assisted. But where are those to handle the tsunami of fraud that threatens confidence in the on line let alone to protect children ... Oct 05 26October 05, 2026Article at Computer Weekly
Will 2026 be the year that Augmented Intelligence Trumps Artificial IgnoranceForty years ago I forecast that the impact of machine learning would be that book-learning and logical reasoning would lose status just as literacy did when everyone could read and write. Two years ... Dec 30 25December 30, 2025Article at Computer Weekly
Will Skills England be allowed to change the course of the Government's inherited policy Titanic?Despite fine words the needs of employers and student appear set to come third, behind the requirements of funding and regulatory hierarchies dating back to 1917 and of the Mayoral Combined ... Feb 07 25February 07, 2025Article at Computer Weekly
Cyberfirst needs more than a change of gearDiscussing the intersection between politics and the information society. Latest Blog Posts Midsomer Murders: the Broadband Killings - time for a remake Levelling up Access to Skills and Jobs; Ten Points for your Manifesto See More Related Content… Aug 09 24August 09, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
Midsomer Murders: the Broadband Killings - time for a remakeThe Digital Manifesto call by the Mobile Network Operators “Failing to plan: Planning to Fail” highlights the impossibility of delivering the Labour promise of ubiquitous 5G cover by 2030 without reform of the planning system. The Conservative… Jun 17 24June 17, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
Levelling up Access to Skills and Jobs; Ten Points for your ManifestoThe growth in productivity per capita on which the headline promises in the party manifestos depend will not happen without radical changes to skills policy. So far the references about what will be in the party manifestos and the calls in the… Jun 01 24June 01, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
Delivering the Skills and Productivity Promises in the Party Manifestos: The Janet and John StrategyLevelling up access to skills and job and breaking out of decades of stagnation in UK productivity per head requires a radical new approaches. The campaign promises to date are like shuffling the deck-chairs on the Titanic while hurtling through the… Jun 01 24June 01, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
How do we ease the pain of transition from a skills system that fails employees and employers?Discussing the intersection between politics and the information society. Latest Blog Posts Levelling up Access to Skills and Jobs; Ten Points for your Manifesto Delivering the Skills and Productivity Promises in the Party Manifestos: The Janet and… May 20 24May 20, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
Organising the political scrutiny of Digital ManifestosWhat can we learn from past experience? March saw the UK tech suppliers and professionals airing their digital aspirations at events organized by Tech UK (Policy Leadership conference 2024, ), ISPA (the Parliament & Internet Conference and the New… Apr 15 24April 15, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
Have the landline problems at the heart of the Horizon Scandal been addressed?Rural sub post offices are still apparently required to use elderly (perhaps aluminium) lines from BT even when full fibre is available from alternative suppliers like B4RN or LGFL has connected the local school via Starlink. Two days ago the… Jan 24 24January 24, 2024Article at Computer Weekly
Will the attempts to block Huawei from the comms networks of NATO help protect US and European suppliers from the Capex down turn? How will BT fund both PSTN Switch Off and Broadband investment in the current climate? Is that why is is having a… Jul 14 23July 14, 2023Post at Linkedin
Envisioning the Global Information Society - The World and Business Computing in 2051Recent hype for Quantum Computing and AI has led me to put on-line the entry that came second in the 2001 conference to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of LEO in 2001. We have almost reached the predicted nadir of trust in the on-line world – because… Jul 04 23July 04, 2023Article at Computer Weekly
Ofcom plans to approve BT plans to destroy the case for investment in broadband competition.Readers have until March 4th to respond to the Ofcom Consultation: Openreach Proposed FTTP Offer starting 1 April 2023 . This announces its intention to allow BT to use predatory lock-in discounts to undermine the investment plans of its competitors.… Feb 16 23February 16, 2023Article at Computer Weekly
Using the Local Skills Improvement Plans to bring UK Skills Policy into the 21st CenturyBuried somewhere with Sir Kier Starmer’s promise to “take back control”, from Westminster as well as Brussells, is a pledge to devolve skills policy. Meanwhile the current Government has begun to do just that with the Local Skills Improvement Plans… Feb 13 23February 13, 2023Article at Computer Weekly
How much progress have we made in 20 years of Digital Skills policyThe article below was published in Spring 2002, after the Post Y2K Dotcom bubble had burst. Gordon Brown had announced a new approach to skills akin to that needed today. So why did it not happen? We should never under-estimate the forces wanting… Aug 25 22August 25, 2022Article at Computer Weekly
Delivering Digital Britain - Get your views heardThe new found aspirations of politicians of all parties to break out of two decades of stagnation in UK per capita productivity depend on levelled up access to the digital skills of the present and future. This will not happen without a switch to… Aug 04 22August 04, 2022Article at Computer Weekly
Getting Britain back to work with the Skills of the Future - using Cyber as an example.The per capita productivity of the UK has been stagnant since skills policy took a wrong turn after the 2002 Cabinet reshuffle and the failure to deliver the employer-led skills programmes promised in “Developing Workforce Skills: Piloting a New… Jul 27 22July 27, 2022Article at Computer Weekly
Building consensus round skills and employment policies that workMy first conclusion from editing the report of the review meeting for phase 1 of the Conservative Political Forum Skills and Employment National Discussion Group was the importance of “leaking” the findings to begin the process of building… Apr 16 22April 16, 2022Article at Computer Weekly
Building consensus round skills and employment policies that work Philip Virgo My first conclusion from editing the report of the review meeting for phase 1 of the Conservative Political Forum Skills and Employment National Discussion Group was the importance of "leaking" the findings to begin the process of… Apr 16 22April 16, 2022Article at Linkedin
Progress with resetting UK Skills and Employment Agendas for a decade of Accelerating Change.On 23rd February I chaired a review of the CPF Skills and Employment National Discussion Group. None of the activities agreed was partisan. This article is to summarize them for those who would like to help move from words to action. The next… Mar 06 22March 06, 2022Article at Computer Weekly