Parents could be stopping their children benefiting from the digital jobs boom by giving them poor careers advice, according to digital jobs board Bubble Jobs.
The statement comes after an O2 study found that one in ten parents would “actively discourage” their children from a career in the digital sector.
The study claims that 23% of the 2,000 parents deemed key skills like web design and coding to be “irrelevant”, despite the burgeoning need for digital talent in the UK.
Despite a lack of support for digital careers, O2’s survey also found that 38% of parents would still actively encourage their children to take up a career in more traditional sectors such as medicine or law.
Bubble Jobs Managing Director Adam Butwilowski says: “We’re disappointed by the results of the survey because it suggests that parents have a real lack of knowledge and enthusiasm about the digital industry and the genuine, long term career opportunities the sector could offer their children.
“There’s an overwhelming number of opportunities in the industry right now from careers with major brand names to exciting opportunities with entrepreneurial start-ups.
“The important message to get across is that the digital industry and the jobs within it aren’t a fad, the industry is growing and will continue to do so as digital will become at the forefront of many aspects of our lives.
“Parents need to understand that and actively encourage their children to find out more about the sector and the career paths in the industry.
“A lot of young Brits today are ‘digital natives’ – they’re growing up with key digital skills that employers are looking for – so it would be a real shame if they missed out due to a lack of support or guidance from their parents.”
The survey results come just a few months before changes to the national curriculum come into effect which will see more of an emphasis placed on digital skills.
From autumn, children as young as five will be taught about 3D printing, robotics, computer coding and algorithms in a bid to equip them with the digital skills they’ll need in the future.
