In fact, 57% of UK technology companies believe that the current digital talent shortage is one of the biggest barriers to achieving their growth plans. To grow, companies need to invest in their employees and improve their digital skills.
Organizations need to look to underutilized talent pools to build a multigenerational workplace that closes the digital skills gap. Whether it's Gen Z entering the workforce, returnees returning from a career hiatus, or ex-military members transitioning into high-tech fields, expanding the pool of candidates from which to choose will increase workforce diversity. It will increase.
Advances in AI, along with the rise of remote and hybrid working, require companies to offer enhanced learning and development opportunities to improve their employees' digital skills.
Shifting your approach to skills development
To keep core business priorities like AI and cyber at the top, companies need access to skilled talent in key areas like transformation, data and analytics, and software engineering. To access this talent, you can not only recruit from underutilized talent pools, but also partner with training providers to ensure you have staff with specialized skill sets. Traditional “technical experts” are no longer enough.
Providing employee training in these areas can help close the digital skills gap and foster a truly diverse workforce.
A new era of learning and collaboration
The introduction of a new learning era will lead to fundamental changes in digital skills training development strategies. The new approach provides a more flexible, dynamic, and client-centered learning experience that ultimately accelerates career advancement and growth.
Companies need to adapt and innovate their learning and development strategies to give employees access to more flexible learning in specific areas such as cyber and data analytics. This allows employees to customize their knowledge and skills to meet customer-specific requirements. Professional training is the key to this.
Meeting global needs through professional practice
Traditional education courses such as computer science and industry-provided training programs often cover a wide range of digital skills but lack the specificity needed to master key roles and technologies. . Because of this, companies often have difficulty accessing specialized skill sets such as software engineering and development and struggle to complete highly technical projects. The new demands facing businesses require new approaches to digital skills development for both companies and job seekers.
As part of this novel approach, companies need a multigenerational workforce that combines new learning with old experience. Older generations bring years of experience and organizational knowledge that can be invaluable in mentoring and developing less experienced employees. Knowledge transfer offers significant benefits in bringing a deep and wide range of skills and expertise to your business. Particularly in the context of specialized training with dedicated practices, the next generation of digital nomads will be able to acquire relevant skills that will make them stand out in the workplace, putting them in a position to oversee the future of technological innovation. .
There should also be a focus on developing the next generation with these skills through increasing engagement at the educational level and encouraging women in STEM and other underrepresented groups in technology fields. there is.
Without specialist training from training providers, industry and educators, the UK risks falling behind its global competitors, falling short of the Prime Minister's science and technology superpower ambitions and ultimately failing to grow. It will be a hindrance.
Sheila Flavell CBE is Chief Operating Officer of FDM Group.
