Digital push not just for millennials - VMware

A quarter of over-55s looking to develop digital skills, survey suggests

VMware has claimed its latest research "debunks the millennial myth" that only youngsters are digitally savvy, insisting previous generations' skills are up to scratch too.

The virtualisation firm surveyed 5,700 employees across EMEA, including 1,000 from the UK, and found non-millennials – those who were adults around the turn of the millennium – see digital skills as a priority too.

More than a third (33 per cent) of those aged between 45 and 54 said they are actively pursuing digital skills and almost a quarter (23 per cent) of those over 55 said they are seeking advice on digital training and designing their own mobile apps. Almost half of 45 to 54-year-olds are able to code and create online content, the survey says.

The arrival of millennials in the workplace is having an impact on the channel, with many vendors and resellers finding they have to change the way they sell and market their wares to customers in light of the influx. Social media marketing is on the rise across the industry in response to demand from the generation.

But it is not just millennials – who have grown up with the internet and digital tools – who are proficient at using them, according to Sue Daley, head of programme, big data, cloud and mobile at TechUK.

"It was surprising, but also refreshing, to see that it is not just today's young workforce who are driving digital transformation in the workplace," she said. "While today's school and university leavers have been brought up with digital tools literally at their fingertips, there has been an assumption that older generations do not always grasp the latest technologies. This research shows that we need to stamp out this common misconception and embrace digital development across the career ladder."