Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Accepted
Persistent shortage of skilled cyber security professionals due to uncompetitive government salaries.
Recommendation
For more than a decade, skilled cyber security professionals have been in short supply and high demand nationally and globally. Government has not paid market–rate salaries for digital and cyber skills, which has been 11 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.7, 1.10 12 Q 5 13 Q 6 14 C&AG’s Report, para 12 15 Q 8 16 Qq 10–11 17 Qq 8–9 18 Q 8 9 a significant barrier to recruitment and retention.19 This Committee has often reported on how this shortfall of digital skills has affected the work of government.20 The Cabinet Office and DSIT told us that they have made progress by significantly expanding the civil service’s digital, data and technology profession. They stated this included 23,000 people, which was around 6% of the total civil service, and that they aimed to increase this to 10%.21 In correspondence provided after our evidence session, the Cabinet Office explained that this would involve replacing 7,000 contractors and consultancy employees with civil servants, which it claimed could result in annual savings of up to £500 million.22
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and is implementing reforms to address cyber skills gaps, including integrating relevant teams into DSIT by November 2025, attracting talent via programmes like Cyber Fast Stream, and establishing a new Cyber Resourcing Hub to streamline recruitment. DSIT will also work with departments to understand skill gaps and use 2025 data to address vacancies, committing to set targets for this early next year.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2026 2.2 The government acknowledges the ongoing cyber skills gaps across the public sector and is taking active steps to implement reforms that address this challenge. As part of the announced Machinery of Government change, Cyber, Digital and Data teams focusing on capability and skills will be fully integrated in DSIT by November 2025. 2.3 The government is attracting and upskilling new cyber security talent into government, through several comprehensive talent programmes including the Cyber Fast Stream, Cyber apprenticeships and the Government Cyber Skills Academy. 2.4 Through a new Cyber Resourcing Hub, government is creating a clearer and stronger government employer value proposition to attract candidates within a competitive market and streamlining the recruitment process. 2.5 As part of work to deliver the Government Cyber Skills Strategy, DSIT will continue to work with departments to understand their cyber skills gap and the local action departments are taking to address this. 2.6 2025 workforce data will be utilised to identify cyber vacancies in government and support departments’ plans on how they can fill these vacancies through current programmes and initiatives. 2.7 Early next year, DSIT will set how many of the anticipated cyber vacancies in government its central initiatives will address and how it will assist departments in their efforts to fill the remaining workforce gaps.