While young people are often described as digital natives, the practice of digital is not necessarily innate for everyone. That’s why it’s on the school curricula in many countries, which doesn’t stop members of Generation Z from showing dissatisfaction, according to a recent survey by Dell Technologies.
The global personal computer maker surveyed more than 15,000 adults aged 18 to 26 in some 15 countries. He found that a significant part of them is dissatisfied with the computer education received during schooling. 44% of respondents say they were only taught digital skills “very basic”. Worse still, 12% of them say they have not received any computer education at school.
This phenomenon is not without consequences when entering the job market. Indeed, there is a strong demand for technological skills, computer science and programming, whatever the sector of activity. However, professionals do not necessarily feel confident about their abilities. Nearly one in three American workers do not believe they have basic digital skills, according to a 2020 report by the National Skills Coalition.
How to remedy this lack of IT know-how? For young people interviewed by Dell Technologies, governments and companies have a role to play. Either way, Gen Z is determined to tackle this topic head on as 36% of respondents plan to deepen their digital knowledge on their own. The avowed objective is to improve their employability and become more virtuous citizens. And for good reason, as 64% of Gen Zers believe that technology will make an important contribution to tackling the climate emergency.