Evolving technology means workers will need re-training

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, said preparing people for the changing world of technology was a “truly gargantuan” task.

She told the CBI’s annual conference in London that improving workers’ skills was a “great challenge on our doorstep”. She said: “Achieving it will need business and government, employer and employee, state and citizens, unions and academia.

“If we get it right - and I firmly believe we can - it could be Britain’s most powerful competitive advantage of all.”

Dame Carolyn said the UK had an opportunity for the “partnership of the century” between business and government. It could achieve so much for everyone in this country, but it must be about getting beyond the divisions and working together, about evidence over ideology, profit with purpose.”

Research released at the conference suggested that workers were “increasingly hungry” to embrace innovation. Software firm Advanced said its survey of over 1,000 senior managers indicated that a third did not believe their organisation was acting fast enough to keep up with the pace of technology innovation.