Blog2 April 2026
For a long time, the professional world has operated with a relatively clear division of labour. In one camp, you had the technical specialists, the engineers and IT teams who built and maintained the digital infrastructure. In the other, you had everyone else: knowledge workers who used these tools to perform their roles. As long as the software functioned and the data saved, “everyone else” could afford to treat the underlying technology as a utility, much like electricity or plumbing.
However, the rapid proliferation of generative AI and low-code automation is changing the nature of that divide. There is a common assumption that because these new tools are more intuitive, we can get by with less technical literacy. In reality, the opposite is true. To move beyond basic “end-user” status, we need to cultivate what we might call the “missing middle.”
Beyond the Spreadsheet Power User
We can find a helpful analogy in the evolution of the spreadsheet. When Excel became a standard office tool, it didn’t eliminate the need for mathematical or logical thinking; it simply changed the scale at which a single employee could operate. The “power user” became a vital asset, someone who could automate a repetitive reporting process or build a complex model without needing to wait for a dedicated data team.
Today, we need to evolve the concept of the power user into the realm of AI, automation and system improvements.
These are individuals across organisations, embedded within their specific departments – be it HR, Marketing, Data, or Finance – who possess a foundational technical literacy that goes a step beyond typical “end-user” skills. They understand how APIs work, the basic logic of data management, and the essentials of security and privacy. They aren’t “IT consultants” visiting from another department; they are local architects who understand the specific needs of their team and have the skills to design solutions to meet them, using the rapidly expanding (if also slightly dangerous and daunting!) toolkit at their disposal.
Empowering the SME
In large organisations, these local architects can act as high-level translators, working alongside engineering teams to co-create solutions. However, for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), this role is even more pivotal.
In many SMEs, IT functions are often small or outsourced, leaving little capacity for deep partnership on daily workflow improvements. Without a “missing middle” tier of staff, these businesses often find themselves stuck with off-the-shelf software that doesn’t quite fit, or manual processes that eat up valuable time. By training staff to be local architects, SMEs can significantly expand what they are capable of achieving within their existing digital ecosystems.
Solution Design vs. Shadow IT
A valid concern often raised is the risk of “Shadow IT,” the idea that untrained staff might build fragile, insecure, or redundant systems. This is exactly why we should stop treating these skills as something employees should simply “pick up” in their spare time.
This requires a formal shift in how we train and reward staff. It isn’t just about learning to write a prompt; it is about solution design. This includes:
- Identifying where a tool actually adds value versus where it creates “noise.”
- Understanding how to deploy automation safely and securely within company guardrails.
- Ensuring that new tools actually improve the team’s workflow rather than just adding another layer of complexity.
Redefining Literacy
We need to move away from the paradigm that allows us to leave “technical stuff” to someone else. Just as we once redefined basic literacy to include word processing and email, we now need to face up to the fact that in 2026, far more of our workforce need a solid technical literacy, a foundational understanding of how modern systems connect and operate.
I think we are actually well past the notion that technical confidence is best left to the ‘techies’ – we all know the colleagues who have an affinity for getting the most out of technology provided to them (like our Excel Power Users noted above – often accidental excel power users!) But we need to take this idea much further. And while the whole workforce needs a level of AI fluency, we need a much expanded cadre of colleagues who are working from a firmer technical (and solution focused) foundation.
The goal isn’t to turn every employee into a software engineer. Rather, it is to ensure that our teams are no longer limited by a lack of technical confidence. By investing in formal and targeted training we can bridge the gap between “technical” and “non-technical” staff, creating a workforce that is equipped to actually leverage and deploy the tools now available, and realise some of those promised productivity gains.
Dr Geoff Stevenson, Director of Degree Apprenticeships