Digital Age Skills: Equipping Contemporary Students for the Digital World

Digital Age Skills: Equipping Contemporary Students for the Digital World

Navigating the constantly transforming world requires us to adapt, embrace future skills, and hold onto our humanity amidst advancing technology. As the renowned author Robert Greene remarks, "The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them creatively."

Given that 44% of core worker skills are projected to alter by 2027, continuous learning is no longer optional – nearly half our work lives could be revolutionized. In fact, 6 out of 10 workers might need extra training to adapt to this rapidly evolving landscape.

This guide will explain future skills, dissect factors shaping tomorrow's workforce, and provide a step-by-step approach to evaluate your organization's skill needs while highlighting popular skills to consider.

Let's get started!

What are Future Skills?

To stay relevant, our skill sets must adapt to the future. Future skills are competencies in high demand in tomorrow's workforce, empowering individuals to bend with change and seize opportunities.

We can classify these skills into two main categories:

1. Hard Skills: Technical abilities, usually industry, or role-specific, like mastering specialized software or equipment.
2. Soft Skills: Interpersonal or cognitive abilities essential for effective communication and collaboration, often challenging to quantify.

Psst. Want to boost your team's soft skills for free? Check out these 10 free eLearning courses!

The Forces Shaping The Future of Work

The world today is witnessing rapid and profound change, making it essential to understand the primary drivers of the future work landscape:

1. Technology: Billions are invested into AI research as technology evolves at a breathtaking pace. With 90% of the world's data generated in the last 2 years, staying tech-savvy is vital to remain competitive.
2. Economy: The global economy growing at 3.2% is continually reshaping businesses. For instance, 36% of the American workforce is now freelancing, and e-commerce is booming with 20.1% of retail purchases happening online.
3. Global Workforce: Our digital world fosters global interconnectedness. Today's trade volume is around 44 times the level recorded back in 1950. To be successful in this context, cultivating intercultural awareness, language, and cross-cultural collaboration skills is crucial.
4. Demographics: Aging populations create skill shortages in specific sectors, while digital natives join the workforce, leading to a generational divide. Currently, 47% of Gen Z employees feel that older workers slow things down due to outdated practices.
5. Job Market: Automation will eliminate jobs, but it will also create new opportunities. By 2027, it's predicted that 97 million new jobs will be born. This shift drives demand for experts in data science, machine learning, and cyber security.

Assessing Your Organization's Future Skill Needs

To prepare your organization for these shifts, conduct a thorough skills assessment. This process, called a training needs analysis (TNA), helps ensure your organization is well-equipped to adapt. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: External Analysis

Understand the broader context by considering emerging trends that will impact your industry:

1. Industry Analysis
2. Technological Analysis
3. Economic Analysis
4. Regulatory Analysis

Step 2: Internal Analysis

Examine your organization's current strengths and weaknesses:

1. Review Objectives
2. Determine Core Competencies
3. Conduct a Skills Inventory
4. Assess Your Values

Step 3: Gap Analysis

Identify your team's skill deficiencies:

1. Pinpoint Specific Skills Gaps
2. Prioritize Skill Gaps Impacting Your Goals

Step 4: Development Plan

Divide your strategy into three parts:

1. Training & Development
2. Recruitment & Hiring
3. Performance Management

In-Demand Skills for the Future

While every organization has unique needs, some skills are consistently in demand:

Future Hard Skills:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Data Science
• Cybersecurity
• Cloud Computing
• Automation

Future Soft Skills:

• Critical Thinking
• Creativity & Innovation
• Adaptability
• Resilience
• Empathy
• Communication Skills
• Digital Literacy

Remember, these lists only scrape the surface – depending on your specific needs, you might also consider skills like project management, financial analysis, and software development.

Encouraging Lifelong Learning

By nurturing curiosity and fostering a growth mindset, you can help your team consistently evolve and future-proof your organization:

1. Provide the right resources, guidance & support
2. Empower learners to take ownership of their development

In conclusion, embracing future skills is essential to adapt to constant change, ensuring our continued success in an increasingly technological world. Stay informed about the latest trends and skill gaps to ensure your organization is ready for tomorrow.

Free resources at your fingertips: [Your guide to The Modern Learner] (https://xyzcompany.com/resources/modern-learner/)

[1]: Trends in the Labor Market: What they Mean for Training (2016), McKinsey & Company.[2]: The Future of Jobs Report 2020, World Economic Forum.[3]: The 2020 ITEA Survey, Burning Glass Technologies.[4]: The Skills of Tomorrow: Empowering Learners for the New World of Work (2018), World Economic Forum.[5]: The Future Workforce Report (2018), Accenture.

With the projection that 44% of core worker skills will change by 2027, and 6 out of 10 workers requiring additional training to adapt, it's crucial to focus on education-and-self-development, especially in the realm of technology. Embracing future skills, such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and cloud computing (future hard skills) along with critical thinking, adaptability, resilience, empathy, communication skills, and digital literacy (future soft skills), can help individuals and organizations thrive in the rapidly evolving landscape.

Read also: