Plugging the gap: Scotland’s digital tech body expands scholarship with Telefónica Tech tie-up

ScotlandIS has partnered with tech and telecoms giant Telefónica Tech UK&I to fund the second year of the digital industry body’s scholarship scheme.

The programme is designed to help bridge the skills gap affecting the Scottish tech sector by helping young people to explore career opportunities in the key areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Delivered by The Education Academy Scotland, the scholarship will see a further dozen scholars from Glasgow and the west of Scotland receive support in attaining their national five maths qualification. Additionally, scholars from the 2024 cohort will continue to be supported through their higher maths qualification following a successful first year.

Karen Meechan, CEO at ScotlandIS, at the Digital Technology Awards 2024. Picture: Neil Hanna

In an attempt to reach young people outside the main cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, the digital industry membership group will also be launching a series of online masterclasses in maths and physics. The masterclasses will run monthly, with 30 places available for students living in more rural parts of Scotland.

Following exam results in August 2024, ScotlandIS and The Education Academy Scotland reported a 100 per cent pass rate on the final exam, noting all scholars across the cohort improved their grade in national five maths with an average upturn of over two grade bands. As was the case last year, scholars who complete the programme will have the opportunity to be fast tracked into further education and will be offered a place on a relevant course at either Glasgow Clyde College, City of Glasgow College or West College Scotland.

The courses accessible through the scholarship cover a variety of topics such as cyber security, software engineering and computer game design.

ScotlandIS chief executive Karen Meechan said: “A growing skills gap is one of the most significant challenges facing the Scottish technology industry today. It is one of the biggest factors restricting growth in the sector and, as international competition continues to increase, Scotland faces the prospect of being left behind in the pursuit of growth. With technology developing so rapidly, we simply cannot afford to fall behind at this crucial stage.

The courses accessible through the scholarship cover a variety of topics including cyber security and software engineering.

“All too often, solving this issue is spoken about in purely theoretical terms but, the truth is, direct and practical action is vital. By engaging children early enough in their education we can help cultivate and inspire the next generation of Scottish tech talent. I hope other businesses will see the impact of these initiatives and feel encouraged to invest in similar programmes.”

She added: “My sincere hope is that the ScotlandIS Scholarship ignites a spark of curiosity in each scholar, helping to pave the way towards a career in STEM, regardless of their background, location or demographic.”

Steven Brown, global director of business applications at Telefónica Tech, said: “We are proud to be partnering with ScotlandIS to fund the next round of its scholarship. Education has always been a key focus for us and initiatives like this are essential to building the foundation to a more inclusive and innovative future for Scottish tech.

“There’s a huge demand for young people to enter the sector, but reaching them is the challenge, particularly for those in more remote areas with less access to opportunities like this. This scholarship will be pivotal to helping students across the country take their first step towards a career in STEM. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it has on them and the industry as a whole”, he added.

ScotlandIS acts as a nerve centre for the country’s digital aims and ambitions. At the last count, it represented more than 1,000 companies through its cluster ecosystem, with its members employing some 60,000 people.

The economic contribution to Scotland from those firms is getting on for £5 billion out of a digital tech sector that contributes about £7.5bn to the nation’s gross value added (GVA). It is estimated that the sector is growing 1.5 times faster than the overall economy. Tellingly, the average annual salary of a digital tech worker is almost £37,000 - about a quarter higher than the national average pay. Some 100,000 people work in digital technologies roles across the Scottish economy.

News of the new scholarship programme came as it emerged that the UK was fast becoming a global hotspot for data centres. Research by planning and development consultancy Ceres Property highlighted how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are driving demand for data centres - with annual revenue totals increasing by almost £5bn since 2017 alone and forecast to hit some £14.4bn by next year.

The firm said that with such rapid growth within the sector, fuelled by current and increasing demand due to the growing prominence of technologies such as AI, the development of data centres present a “significant opportunity” for UK developers.

Peter Cole, a partner at Ceres Property, said: “There’s no doubt that the data centre sector has seen a period of considerable and consistent boom in recent years, as emerging technologies such as AI have driven demand for such infrastructure and services substantially. This trend is only set to continue as the further development and adoptance of technologies such as AI reshape both our professional and personal lives, however, such growth is not without its complications.

“Many developers are taking the approach of identifying industrial or logistical sites with the aim of changing their planning use and, if they can establish the principle of a big shed, it doesn’t take much to significantly increase value. Landowners need to be aware of this and restrict use in order to protect themselves, so that they can reap the rewards of any value uplift themselves.”

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