Fixing the Digital Skills Gap

The digital landscape is always changing, with new technologies and tools constantly revolutionizing how you do business. Advances in areas like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) are giving business owners access to capabilities that were previously out of reach. Digital transformation offers opportunities for your company to be a part of the global economy. Still, if your enterprise is like many others, there’s one major problem: the digital skills gap. 

The digital economy offers substantial gains in security, productivity, and efficiency, but only if your company can take advantage of them. This means having the skilled resources (i.e., people) to use the technology. Unfortunately, technological development is outpacing talent development, creating a skills gap you must address to remain competitive.

Why Is There an IT Crisis?

Industry experts point to several reasons for the ongoing skills gap in IT. For starters, digital transformation is occurring faster than ever. Consider the exponential growth of AI technology in the last year alone and the new opportunities and challenges it creates across industries. 

The rapid pace of the new digital economy also means your business must be aware of new models for best practices in working with emerging technologies. The latest developments, combined with global demographic shifts and the development of intelligent automation, mean your business can’t afford to overlook the need to close the digital skills gap.

The Role of Upskilling and Reskilling in Addressing the Skills Crisis Now and in the Future 

Your company must invest in upskilling and reskilling talent to thrive in the new digital economy and reduce the skills gap crisis. This means identifying the skills most critical to meeting organizational goals and creating learning programs and pathways to put your team on track for success. 

Taking a strategic approach to upskill your team ensures they have the skills to meet the demands of the changing technology landscape now and in the future. The job market is more competitive than ever, making it impractical, if not impossible, to hire new talent to take on the challenges of the digital economy. That doesn’t mean abandoning a focused recruitment strategy but augmenting those efforts by investing in training in crucial areas.

For most businesses, upskilling and reskilling means prioritizing education and training opportunities in critical areas like framework, automation, and technical skills. Soft skill development in leadership and communication is also vital to closing the digital skills gap.

HR and IT Collaboration Is Key 

A successful upskilling effort requires close collaboration between human resources and IT. HR can assist with skills analysis to identify the most pressing gaps in your company’s IT talent infrastructure and develop quantifiable metrics to measure the success of upskilling efforts.

As we move into a new year, business owners can no longer afford to put off preparing their workforce for future technological challenges and opportunities. Companies that address the digital skills gap now will be better positioned to remain able to leverage emerging technology to their benefit more effectively.