More than one in 10 young people do not think their computer skills are good enough to use in the job they want, the Prince's Trust said.
The research follows a £500,000 donation by hip hop star will.i.am to the Trust last year. His donation will be used on projects to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills.
"I was intimidated by science and advanced maths," said the music star, who donated his fee for appearing on BBC talent show The Voice. "When I say, 'Hey kids, you guys should want to be scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians...' I say that because I too am going to school to learn computer science. I'm taking a computer science course, because I'm passionate about where the world's going, curious about it and I want to contribute," he told the BBC.
The Prince's Trust research was based on interviews with 1,378 British 15-to-25-year-olds, including 265 "Neets" - those not in education, employment or training. One in 10 unemployed young people cannot send their CV online, while a quarter say they "dread" filling in online job applications, the survey found. A tenth of Neets said they were embarrassed by their lack of computer skills, and 17% admitted they do not apply for jobs that require basic computer skills.
The research was released to mark the launch of a new Prince's Trust scheme to engage young people in schools with science and technology.
Source: BBC News
