UK Lawmakers Call for Govt to Develop Crypto, Blockchain Skills Pipeline

Members of the U.K. Parliament have made a unanimous call for the government to invest in building skills to match the demand for employment from crypto, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors.

Member of Parliament Lisa Cameron, who chaired a Tuesday debate on the topic, urged the government to ensure that digital skills are taught from the early stages of education and even in the workplace.

"Although the U.K. is well placed to harness the opportunities presented by the growth of the digital economy, considerable preparation and investment in education, training and skills will be needed to make the most of these opportunities and to ensure that the U.K. has the necessary talent pipeline to help it realize its goal of becoming a tech superpower," Cameron said in a press statement shared with CoinDesk.

The U.K. government has said it wants to make the country a hub for crypto. So far, it has put through legislation that recognized crypto as a regulated activity, with secondary legislation for stablecoins and other crypto activities on the way.

However, for Cameron, more still needs to be done. One of the issues that's come to the forefront when speaking to employers in the digital sector is that they "can't find the talent that they need," she said.

Cameron also asked for there to be greater partnerships with blockchain companies such as Ripple, which launched a blockchain research initiative for universities in 2018; stablecoin issuer Circle, which partnered with academic institutions; and Tether, which launched an education initiative this year.

"We know that there are digital skills gaps to address. That gap is estimated to cost the U.K. economy £63 billion ($79 billion) a year," the U.K. Minister for Skills, Luke Hall, said in response.