According to the Brookings Institute, several factors inhibit growth in UK students taking digital subjects.

1. Inadequate teacher training funding has left many schools without the specialist teachers to deliver effective classes.
2. Decades-old barriers to access, such as race and gender, and even geographies, prevent students developing an interest in the subject.
3. There is debate about how CS should be taught to make it more accessible.

Additional reasons for low digital subject take-up in UK, according to ChatGPT are:

1. Students lacking information on the subject and its benefits, making rational subject selection harder.
2. There are misconceptions about the difficulty of the subject and what is required to succeed in it.
3. Schools might not have the equipment needed to provide effective CS classes.
4. Other subjects that students may perceive to be more relevant to them, such as art, music, or languages, could be more attractive.

In 2012, the UK government adopted a digital-by-default stance, which continues to expose the gap in skills. Arguably, it was most pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many citizens found themselves cut off from vital services just when they really needed them. Many older people who lacked digital skills, poorer people without digital tools, and those with serious health issues were suddenly isolated when the country locked down.

Economically, the situation is also perilous. A 2022 report from AND Digital shows 81% of managers feel that a lack of digital skills is hampering their businesses, yet £50 billion-per-year of growth will rely on adequate digital skills. Furthermore, reports from the Office for National Statistics show there are over 1 million job vacancies in the UK in May 2023, and suggest that close to a quarter of those vacancies may be due to a lack of skills.