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The grey door: Solving the UK’s self-inflicted skills shortage | Computer Weekly

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The grey door: Solving the UK’s self-inflicted skills shortage | Computer Weekly


The UK’s technology sector has had, and continues to have, a significant demographic challenge. As the nation grapples with an ageing population, the UK government has responded with fiscal policies designed to extend the working lives of its citizens, predominantly through the incremental raising of the state pension age.

Simultaneously, the IT sector, the vanguard of the modern British economy, continues to operate within a cultural and structural framework that systematically marginalises older professionals.

The premise of the current UK economic strategy is built on the assumption of “fuller working lives”. With the state pension age having risen to 66 and legislated to reach 67 between 2026 and 2028, the expectation is that workers will remain economically productive well into their late 60s.

For many sectors, this transition, while challenging, is operationally feasible. However, in the technology sector, a “grey door” appears to descend significantly earlier, often as early as age 50, creating a demographic anomaly where the industry most vital to the UK’s future is the least representative of its present population demographic.

The most definitive metric of ageism is the representation gap – the difference between the proportion of older workers in the general economy versus their proportion in the IT sector. According to the BCS diversity report 2024: “There were 446,000 IT specialists in the UK aged 50 and above during 2023, and at 22%, the level of representation for this group was much lower than that recorded amongst the wider workforce (i.e. 30%).”

The report adds: “If the level of representation for older workers in IT specialist positions was equal to that amongst the working-age population as a whole, there would have been 594,000 older IT specialists in the UK during 2023, i.e. approximately 148,000 more than the number recorded.”

BCS analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows the percentage of IT specialists in the UK aged 50 and above in 2023 was much lower than that recorded amongst the wider workforce

This shortfall represents a significant loss of experience, leadership and technical capability, which is particularly ironic in a sector chronically complaining of skills shortages. Beyond the operational strain of the skills shortage, the structural exclusion of 148,000 experienced professionals represents a critical public policy failure, stripping the UK economy of an estimated £1.6bn in lost tax revenue and directly undermining the government’s fiscal agenda for “fuller working lives”. 

According to a survey conducted by CW Jobs, “Over a third (41%) of IT and tech sector workers said they have encountered age discrimination in the workplace, whereas only 27% across other UK industries had experienced old ageism.”

The Stop the bias report 2024 from Tribepad shows similar trends.

Graph shows that age is viewed as the greatest barrier to getting a new job or promotion
Tribepad analysis shows that age is viewed as the greatest barrier to getting a new job or promotion

The presented trend lines offer little comfort. Despite broader societal trends towards longer careers, the level of representation for older workers in IT roles has remained stagnant over the past five years. While the general employment rate for the “50 to 64” demographic has historically trended upward, the IT sector appears resistant to this shift, maintaining a younger demographic profile as the pool of available young talent shrinks relative to the ageing population.

To resolve the conflict between an ageing demographic and a youth-centric technology sector, stakeholders must move beyond passive acknowledgement of the “grey door” to enact structural reform. When artificial intelligence (AI) tools inadvertently assert human bias, such as ageism, it threatens to turn the government’s “fuller working lives” policy into a driver of inequality.

To prevent the IT sector from becoming a closed shop to the over-50s, the following three recommendations are essential.

1. Mandate algorithmic auditing and glass box transparency

Organisations must treat AI recruitment tools as high-risk systems requiring rigorous safety checks. Companies should implement regular algorithmic audits using counterfactual testing, running identical CVs with different age markers to detect bias.

Furthermore, employers should demand transparency from software vendors regarding how their models handle proxy variables such as formatting and vocabulary, ensuring that years of experience are considered an asset rather than a liability.

2. Institutionalise and scale returnerships

While government initiatives like “returnerships” and “skills bootcamps” provide a framework, the industry must lead the execution. Tech companies should formalise corporate returner programmes as a standard recruitment channel, distinct from entry-level intakes.

These programmes should be designed to bridge the confidence and technical gaps for experienced professionals returning from career breaks, validating their transferable skills rather than forcing them to compete directly with graduates for junior roles.

3. Shift from culture fit to skills-based

The nebulous concept of “culture fit” often serves as a smokescreen for affinity bias, allowing hiring managers to reject older workers who don’t match the prevailing demographic.

Recruitment strategies must pivot to a skills-first taxonomy, where candidates are evaluated strictly on their competencies and potential contribution, rather than social similarity. This requires training human recruiters to recognise and override automation bias, ensuring they do not simply rubber-stamp the rejection of older candidates suggested by flawed AI models.



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Amazon’s Spring Sale Is So-So, but Cadence Capsules Are a Bright Spot

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Amazon’s Spring Sale Is So-So, but Cadence Capsules Are a Bright Spot


The WIRED Reviews Team has been covering Amazon’s Big Spring Sale since it began at on Wednesday, and the overall deals have been … not great, honestly. So far, we’ve found decent markdowns on vacuums, smart bird feeders, and even an air fryer we love, but I just saw that Cadence Capsules, those colorful magnetic containers you may have seen on your social media pages, are 20 percent off. (For reference, the last time I saw them on sale, they were a measly 9 percent off.)

If you’re not familiar, they allow you to decant your full-sized personal care products you use at home—from shampoo and sunscreen to serums and pills—into a labeled, modular system of hexagonal containers that are leak-proof, dishwasher safe, and stick together magnetically in your bag or on a countertop. No more jumbled, travel-sized toiletries and leaky, mismatched bottles and tubes.

Cadence Capsules have garnered some grumbling online for being overly heavy or leaking, but I’ve been using them regularly for about a year—I discuss decanting your daily-use products in my guide to How to Pack Your Beauty Routine for Travel—and haven’t experienced any leaks. They do add weight if you’re trying to travel super-light, and because they’re magnetic, they will also stick to other metal items in your toiletry bag, like bobby pins or other hair accessories. This can be annoying, especially if you’re already feeling chaotic or in a hurry.

Otherwise, Capsules are modular, convenient, and make you feel supremely organized—magnetic, interchangeable inserts for the lids come with permanent labels like “shampoo,” “conditioner,” “cleanser,” and “moisturizer.” Maybe you love this; maybe you don’t. But at least if you buy on Amazon, you can choose which label genre you get (Haircare, Bodycare, Skincare, Daily Routine). If this just isn’t your jam, the Cadence website offers a set of seven that allows you to customize the color and lid label of each Capsule, but that set is not currently on sale.



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Fellow Readers, Don’t Miss These E-Reader Sales

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Fellow Readers, Don’t Miss These E-Reader Sales


This is the older Kindle Scribe, but the price and features are the best you’ll get, especially when it’s on sale like this. I still reach for this model even though I have the newer third generation, and keep in mind the second generation will also get some of the newer software and experiences over time. With the sale, it’s half the price of the newer model.

Amazon

Kindle Colorsoft and Colorsoft Signature Edition

If you’re already a Kindle reader and looking to upgrade, it’s likely because you want a new feature like a color screen. While the Kobo above is the better buy, if you want to stay in the Kindle ecosystem but add some color to your books, both the Colorsoft and Colorsoft Signature are on sale.

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Kindle (2024, 11th Gen)

If you’re looking to spend as little as possible, the basic Kindle (11th generation) is still a great e-reader and is currently under $100. It can do almost everything the other Kindles can (except the Scribe) on a snappy black-and-white screen. It doesn’t have a warm front light either, but it’s still a great purchase for the price.


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This Speaker I Tried From Soundboks Can Handle a Real Party

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This Speaker I Tried From Soundboks Can Handle a Real Party


In addition to the rubber balls, there’s a nice physical interface on the side for adjusting volume and pairing multiple Mix speakers together if you have multiple on hand (I was only sent the single mono speaker). Setup involves installing the Soundboks app, pairing to the speaker via Bluetooth on your phone, and picking whatever you want to play. It’s all quick and painless, especially for my first-time pairing with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Otherwise, it’s all very pro audio. Everything reminds me very much of the Peavey PA system I have in my music rehearsal space. The top of the speaker features a built-in carrying handle and a place for a strap (an accessory you have to buy aftermarket, or you can fasten it with any strap you have that fits through the hole). There are also top-hat mounts for the speakers to slide onto traditional PA pole stands, if you wanted to use them in that way at a party or event.

The grill is replaceable, as is the massive internal battery, which means that these things are pretty much indestructible as long as the amp and speakers themselves still work—the battery is the weak point of most portable speakers in 2026.

I bounced it around my yard, dropped it off my patio, and generally beat the crap out of it during my two-week testing period, and the thing just needed a little wipe down and a charge when it ran out of juice. The claimed 40 hours of battery at reasonable volume is accurate, but you’ll get about eight hours at max volume (which is very good for the category). If you need to bring some walk-out music to your kid’s all-day Little League tournament, this a great way to go.

Big Sound

Photograph: Parker Hall

Soundboks calls this speaker midsize, but at 21.4 pounds and the size of a medium-size cooler, I’d still call it a large speaker. That said, the size doesn’t make it any less portable than competitors from JBL and others; you still need a car or cargo ebike to take one of these with you, so what’s a couple inches here or there? The fact that this is a rectangle actually makes it easier to strap down than many others, especially with the holes for the strap and the built-in handle to tie down through.



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