Ways to Bridge the Digital Skills Gap in 2023

Trey Roldan, Chief Commercial Officer, Tenth Revolution Group

The digital skills gap has been a growing problem for businesses and employees alike over the past few years. And according to recent studies, it is only going to get worse. By 2023, it is estimated that there will be a million unfilled jobs in the United States due to the need for qualified applicants with the right digital skills. So, what can we do to bridge this gap and improve our workforce's digital literacy?

Start At the Source

The core solution is to focus on boosting access to high-quality digital education. There are tons of opportunities out there for people who want to learn more about digital technologies, from in-person classes and workshops to free online courses and tutorials. By investing in accessible digital education programs, we can help equip new generations of workers with the necessary skills they need to succeed in an increasingly digital-led job market.

However, it is not just about access to skill-building resources. It is also about awareness. For many young people and the adults that support them, the tech industry is still seen as complex and impenetrable, which can create significant barriers. Thanks to the enormous growth and democratization of the tech field, there is a vast range of job roles on offer today and you do not have to be a computer scientist to succeed in them.

The reality of life in any industry can take a while to trickle down into public consciousness, which is why we must work to raise awareness of the opportunities available. Connecting with schools and colleges to showcase modern tech roles and what they entail can go a long way toward inspiring young people to kick-start a career in the digital realm. Especially in an age when our younger generations are worried about their future prospects, hosting events, or creating resources that help budding professionals realize and understand their options makes all the difference. After all, you cannot be what you cannot see.

Ask And You Shall Receive

As well as building awareness of opportunities in tech, it is also vital to create a dialogue about the skills that are needed. Currently, many companies rely on internships and other types of hands-on training for their employees instead of higher-quality classroom instruction, creating a disconnect between what students are learning at school and what industry professionals actually need. Greater information sharing and collaboration between businesses and educational institutions will help close that gap, ensuring that the people entering the workforce have the skills to hit the ground running. If we start working more closely with businesses and educational institutions to develop a mutually beneficial learning model, we can ensure that students are getting the exact type of training they need to be successful after graduation.

" Actively encourage more diversity in workplace environments. We can help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to gain valuable digital skills and succeed in today’s job market. "

All of these undertakings are essential if we want to build a future pipeline of digital-savvy workers, but given that we are already feeling the impact of this skills shortage, what can we do right now to bridge the gap?

The immediate solution to a digital skills gap in your organization is two-fold: upskill the talent you have and cast a wider net to find the talent you need.

Work With What You Have

Firstly, assess your workforce and find out what kind of ongoing support and training is needed to get existing employees up to speed. Offer digital training resources, such as online courses or personalized coaching sessions, to help your teams stay up to date on the latest trends and technologies. By offering ongoing support, businesses can help ensure that their employees are able to keep up with the fast-changing nature of today's digital landscape and that they have the skills required to get maximum value from tech platform investments.

While everyone in your organization should have enough digital knowledge to use the tools at hand, you can also go much further by seeking out potential tech mavens in your workforce and giving them the support, they need to change lanes.

As we covered earlier, many people working today simply did not have access to the right resources at the right time to build relevant digital skills. But that does not mean they do not have the enthusiasm and soft skills to learn. In fact, a huge number of tech professionals actually begin as users, eventually developing enough experience and knowledge of the products they use to transition into a tech-focused role. If you are struggling to hire tech professionals for your organization, then why not create them yourself? Look for your super-users, your enthusiasts, and your unofficial tech support staff. Can you help them upskill? If so, the tech professionals you need may already be on your team.

Level the Playing Field

Finally, one of the best ways to bridge the digital skills gap is simply by promoting greater diversity in our workforce. Currently, certain groups of people—such as women and minorities—are underrepresented in many technology-related fields, meaning that they often lack access to the necessary resources needed to learn more about digital technologies. By actively encouraging more diversity in our workplace environments, we can help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to gain valuable digital skills and succeed in today's job market.