The growing demand for IT and tech professionals in the public sector

The public sector has some of the largest employers in the United Kingdom, including the NHS who had over 1.84 million employees as of the third quarter of 2021.  Over the past few years, the UK’s public sector has seen an acceleration in digital transformation, especially within the healthcare and education sectors, which has created many IT and tech job opportunities.

How is technology used in healthcare?

In 2019 the NHS published a long-term plan, in which they acknowledged making better use of data and digital technology. The aim is to increase the range of digital health tools and services, helping the NHS deliver its services in a faster more convenient way. Covid-19 played a key part in advocating this digital transformation as the public were required to book covid jabs online, attend virtual hospital appointments, and download a digital COVID pass to be able to travel and attend events.

Nine years ago, NHS Digital was launched. It is the national digital, data and technology delivery partner for the NHS and social care system. The goal of NHS Digital is to maximise accessibility for the public and use services that support clinicians, all whilst making sure data is stored safely. There are a number of IT and tech jobs available with NHS Digital, all of which are designed to build and maintain the digital infrastructure that supports the NHS.

IT and tech jobs within healthcare include

, Digital Services Administrators,

and many more.

How is technology used in the central UK government?

There are several different employers involved in the central UK government, including the National Audit Office, Ministry Office, UK Parliament Digital Service and many more. Each employer has its own initiative for making information more accessible to the public.

In 2010 the GDS (Government Digital Service) was created to deliver platforms, products and services that help the government to become a responsive source to the public. In 2021 it became one of their main missions to ensure GOV.UK became the single trusted online destination for government information and services. This is just one of their five missions between now and 2024. They plan to build hubs in Manchester (initial focus) and Bristol to attract more talent, and to be less London-centric, creating more job opportunities across the nation.

IT and tech jobs within the government include

,

, Security Architects and many more.

How is technology used in education?

Education was another sector impacted by the pandemic, with everyone moving to cloud-based teaching platforms. This came with many new challenges including making sure schools implemented the correct technology infrastructure, including full-fibre internet connectivity, cloud-based systems, and guidance on cyber security.

Technology was already becoming a leading innovation tool for schools and universities, the pandemic simply functioned as a catalyst for their digital transformation. In 2019 the Department for Education Technology set a series of challenges, to see how technology can increase efficiency for teachers. Some challenges include:

• Show how technology can facilitate part-time and flexible working patterns in schools and colleges, including through the use of time-tabling tools

• Show that technology can reduce teacher time spent on essay marking for mock GCSE exams by at least 20%.

• Demonstrate how artificial intelligence can support the effective delivery of online learning and training for adults.

IT and tech jobs within education include: Network Solutions Engineers,

and many more.

All of these initiatives within the public sector open up a number of different IT and technology job opportunities.

The public sector is being driven by innovative technologies and the demand for skilled IT and tech professionals will only continue to grow.