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Digital Skills – A 21st Century Necessity

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Digital skills - a 21st century necessity | digital skills - a 21st century necessity | edupulse magazine
Digital Skills - A 21st Century Necessity | Digital Skills - A 21st Century Necessity | EduPulse Magazine

With technological development taking place every day, and companies and organisations are adapting to the changes – the market now demands a digitally equipped workforce. Digital technology has revolutionised the way we work, but many smaller businesses that lack digital skills are being left behind. 

These skills can be anything from answering emails to uploading a document to a company’s Google drive – now essential skills in today’s labour market. Digital Skills can increase business productivity. With the right training, employees can use digital technology to become more productive at work. 

For example, digital documents can be created, stored and accessed more efficiently than printed versions, but only if employees know how to locate them, use them and share them confidently. If they struggle with this, it has a knock-on effect on how employee time is used in the workplace – with consequences for business productivity.

Digital skills can help to develop a competitive edge. According to Microsoft, in the next two decades, 90% of jobs will require some form of digital skills, and there will be a higher demand for technical expertise to give businesses a competitive edge within their market.

By investing in the right training for your employees, they are more likely to outperform their peers at rival organisations – helping your business stay ahead of the competition.

Digital skills can provide new ways of working.

Technological advances will continue to provide new ways of working. Businesses that embrace those changes will reap the benefits of a highly satisfied workforce, keen to collaborate, communicate or create using new tools that allow them to do their jobs more efficiently. This could include better access to remote working, relevant software and cloud-based applications or widening the availability of online training.

Digital skills can help increase revenue. Most businesses now recognise the need for a robust online presence to help increase revenue. Traditional forms of sales and marketing are becoming outdated as consumers turn towards digital channels to make that final purchase. 

Most buyers now consume online content like blog articles or short videos to finalise their purchasing decisions. If businesses hope to increase revenue, they need to be where their customers are, using a range of digital skills to engage, persuade and drive demand through their preferred online channels.

Digital Skills allow businesses to build customer relationships. Consumers now spend more time on digital channels, and there is a high demand for an improved online experience. Companies need to respond to changing expectations, engaging with their customers and building relationships through a diverse range of channels – these could include email, social media, mobile apps and more. Employees must have the right skills.

In some reason, digital skills make the workplace a freer and simpler place to navigate. A lot of work can now be done from home, especially during this pandemic, digital skills have certainly come in handy, and they will continue to do so.

Lovemore Jeke is media personnel and an aspiring young Journalist with great interest in technology and innovation. His interest is in analysing the impact of technology in education and society.

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