? EDITOR ’ S QUESTION //
“
YOUNGER
RESPONDENTS HAVE THE GREATEST
CONFIDENCE AND AMBITION
TO LEARN NEW SKILLS .
New Digital Skills Index reveals 76 % of global workers say they are unequipped for the future of work .
ALESFORCE , A GLOBAL
S leader in CRM , published its new Global Digital Skills Index , revealing a growing global digital skills crisis and an urgent need for action . The Salesforce Index is based on over 23,000 workers in 19 countries reporting their readiness to acquire key digital skills .
Nearly three-quarters of respondents ( 73 %) don ’ t feel equipped to learn the digital skills needed by businesses now and even more ( 76 %) don ’ t feel equipped for the future . Despite 82 % of survey respondents planning to learn new skills in the next five years , only 28 % are actively involved in digital skills learning and training programmes now .
The global digital skills gap
Everyday digital skills don ’ t translate to the workplace
Everyday skills such as social media and web navigation don ’ t necessarily translate to the core workplace digital skills needed by business to drive recovery , resilience and growth .
More than two thirds of all Gen Z respondents ( 64 %) say they have advanced social media skills – supporting the stereotype of digital mastery among the younger generation – but less than a third ( 31 %) believe they have the advanced digital workplace skills needed by businesses now .
Generational skills gap
However , the Salesforce Index also reveals that younger respondents have the greatest confidence and ambition to learn new skills – over one-third of Gen Z is actively learning and training for skills needed over the next five years compared to 12 % of Baby Boomers .
Every month , we pose industry experts a question pertinent to the issues of the day . This month . . . .
This gap is a concern – but it also presents an opportunity . With companies around the world rapidly transitioning to digital-first models , the demand for employees with digital skills has soared .
The Salesforce Index ’ s overall global score for digital readiness , assessed in terms of preparedness , skill level , access and active participation in digital upskilling , is currently only 33 out of 100 . The countries represented in the survey ranged from scores of 63 to 15 , highlighting that while certain countries feel more digitally ready than others , there is an urgent need for global investment to close the digital skills gap and build a more inclusive workforce .
HOW CAN SMES TACKLE THE DIGITAL SKILLS GAP ?
The most important digital skills needed by businesses today
According to the Salesforce Index , skills in collaboration technology are viewed as the most important digital workplace skill for workers today and over the next five years . But despite respondents ’ prowess with everyday collaboration technology like social media , only 25 % rate themselves advanced in those collaboration technology skills needed specifically for the workplace .
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Intelligent SME . tech