Almost half - 46 per cent - of younger Millennial and Generation Z people in the UK believe it is too late for them to pivot to a career in technology.

The young people surveyed by the report from Finsbury Glover Hering said as they didn’t have the opportunity to study subjects in school that would prepare them for a career in tech, they now believe it is too late for them to make the switch.

This is less than 51 per cent of young people in China who felt it was too late to start a tech career, as well as Germany where 48 per cent felt it was too late, but more than the 41 per cent of American young people who had the same concerns.

The report also found that the tech industry is popular choice for young people choosing careers.

Six-in-ten - 62 per cent - of British and German respondents and 58 per cent of American respondents were interested in pursuing a career in tech according to the report.

This is far less than the 82 per cent of Chinese young people who the report found are interested in a tech career.

The report also covered young people’s views on tech more generally.

Almost seven in ten - 66 per cent - of the young people in the UK view technology’s impact as “more good than bad”.

This is much less than 91 per cent of young people in China who feel this way, comparable to the 65 per cent of Americans, but more than 59 per cent of young people in Germany.

The report also found that the pandemic has bolstered trust in the tech industry, with all markets seeing young people's trust the sector more now, compared to before the pandemic started.

“Despite trust and interest rising in the technology sector, our research shows the industry still has an image problem,” said Sophie Scott, global technology lead at Finsbury Glover Hering. “It’s worrying, against the backdrop of a growing skills gap, that so many young people view a career in technology as out of reach.”

The sector’s greatest challenge lies in reshaping perceptions and enhancing accessibility, she said, with companies needed to help young people break down these self-limiting beliefs before they become barriers.

She added: "The sector also has an opportunity to align much more closely with young people’s priorities - which are as much pragmatic as they are values-led - to attract new talent.”

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