By Nandini Gattam
Remember the good old days when days were bright, and nights were calm. Some were busy earning while some people were found chasing their wildest dreams. A teacher would rely on the textbook to deliver classes. A driver would go around the block to get a passenger. A friendly neighborhood worker smiled at you every morning while delivering your newspaper; the older folks spent time with their grandchildren narrating stories from their life. Life was calm, simple and ordinarily beautiful.
Until … Boom!
Digital Era: The Change Has Begun
Technology slowly started increasing its pace. Before we knew it, the Industrial Revolution became the Digital Revolution. Hardcover books are still beautiful, but now we prefer Kindle. Café shop meetings are old school but why waste time when we have a sea of dating apps. The world has become faster; technology has brought us closer. It would only be right to call the world a Global Village.
Thanks to the evolution we have been through, because now it is easier to adapt to the changing world in every way. With the rapid growth in technology, everyone must possess digital skills. During his ConnectHome announcement in Oklahoma, Obama has emphasized how “The Internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity,” Not just in the West, even in Kerala, an Indian state with the highest literacy rate, the state government has understood and recognized the importance of internet access in times when everything, including governance, is going digital. It will not be surprising if governments across the globe will implement the right to access internet just like other basic rights like access to water and electricity.
Digital Skills: The Need of the Day
Digital skills are entering all areas of work. In the sphere of education, there are digital teaching aids which will help students better understand the concepts. While in healthcare digitally–powered advanced medical facilities enable early detection of diseases. This turns out to be extremely helpful in cases of a pandemic and also helps contain it. While most have already switched to online shopping, another sphere where digital technology has made an impact is in the entertainment industry as well.
All the above discussed areas are turning into fields where digital skills are a must. The number of jobs created in these industries provides enough opportunities for everyone to upskill and reskill themselves. Digital skills have become a go–to solution in every industry. However, not only do current jobs require digital skills, new jobs are also being created that require specialization in digital skills. There is a genuine fear of a digital skills gap, created by the boom in the digital economy versus the amount of people who are trained to work in it.
Watch: Our Bootcamp on Digital India
Life is Easy with Digital Skills
Technology is making our day to day lives easier. A person in a creative field can use Adobe Photoshop to create some amazing visuals, while an analyst can use tools like R, SPSS to analyze raw data and make it understandable to a layman with the use of visualization tools like Tableau and PowerBI. MS office – everyone’s best friend has various products like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, etc. which helps a middle school student as well as a CEO.
Every country aims at using technology and encouraging its citizens to adapt to this new digital world. A world where technology is user-friendly and transparency is key to all interactions. India, for example, has come up with a scheme called “Digital India”. This scheme aims at making India a digitally empowered nation. Initiated in the year 2015, the scheme aims to ensure connectivity through internet even in the most remote areas of India, work towards cashless transactions, and deliver government services digitally To make most of the Digital India initiative, one must pick up digital skills like handling emails, online banking, mobile wallets etc.
Watch: Mohandas Pai on Digital Revolution in India
To stay relevant, it is important to learn and master at least a few digital skills. Digital skills however cover a wide range of skills. It is also necessary to know what skills are required based on the goals to be achieved. Few digital skills that are of high demand: SEO, Content Marketing, Analytics, Email, etc.
Watch: Ralph Büchi’s Views on Digital Technology
Coming back to the title of my blog, what skills do you think you would need in this digital era. Think about it, because NOW is the time to upgrade yourself since there is a high demand for job seekers who are exposed to or certified in the digital world. What better time to explore and delve into a fast-changing world?
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