The falling number of students taking IT subjects at GCSE is a stark reminder that more needs to be done to engage young people around technology in order to tackle the widening tech skills gap. The good news is that technology is improving, and IT developments are now helping organisations to overcome skills shortages.

In the telecoms sector, new technologies are making it possible to improve the speed and cost of fibre network deployments across the UK while tackling the widening skills gap. For example, arming field technicians and engineers with better data on designing a network can reduce time-consuming decision making and human error.

It is also important for providers to create easy-to-digest materials that aid networks when rolling out new connections, such as fibre, in densely populated areas. We’re seeing the likes of new planning tools emerge that can help engineers quickly identify the best network design topology for any project, walk them through the various network design aspects that need to be considered, and explain the available options and the pros and cons of each.

Ensuring all areas of our country have Superfast Broadband must be a priority, as we look ahead to a future ever more reliant on connectivity – and closing the skills gap will play a crucial role.