Incomplete training ‘hindering firms’ IT potential’

UK businesses may not be living up to their technological potential because workers have not fully developed skills to make it a possibility, according to one industry body.

The National Computing Centre (NCC) has suggested that incomplete or curtailed training programmes can mean companies’ investment in IT not translating into better productivity.

Michael Dean, head of marketing at the NCC, said that while most firms helped to develop staff skills in tandem with the introduction or upgrades of their systems, many organisations were guilty of neglecting development from thereon.

He added that many firms were cutting budgets in this area and perhaps not all training programmes were delivering the depth of IT education that they should.

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This follows a recent report by Lifelong Learning UK, which revealed how half of the UK’s workforce believes their confidence levels around technology would increase with more training.

Mr Dean explained that with more expensive IT systems comes an "initial rush" to boost staff skills, but not a longstanding approach.

By Cameron Thomson