Business and government have combined to create a skills desert in Britain

As Britain prepares for a deep dive into the unknown, a new study ranking Britain last in attitudes towards technology and skills could leave us drowning, writes James Moore

Learning a skill: this apprentice is getting the chance to do that at Salisbury Cathedral. One in every two workers don’t (Getty)

The skills gap is a lead weight chained to the legs of the British economy. It has long been a problem, but in the shallow waters of the EU swimming pool, it has at least been more or less manageable, at least with a little migrant help.

Trouble is, the UK is preparing to perform a deep dive into a very cold and deep sea, one with a global eco-storm clearly visible on the horizon. And then there are the ships of the robot navy, with guns primed to blow up jobs. That weight could easily lead to UK plc drowning.

Today PwC, the consultancy firm, releases the results of a global study on attitudes to technology and skills.