The Connection Magazine The Connection Magazine | Page 22

SOCIAL MEDIA
Overcome The Digital Skills Gap With
Free Social Media
DESPITE MORE of our everyday life moving online, many of us
still don’t know how to properly use the technology tools available
in the workplace. In fact, over 90 percent of companies say that
their workforce lack digital skills, especially in areas like social
media.
With this lack of skills costing U.S. businesses an estimated 1
trillion dollars per year, education is becoming the most powerful
way for businesses and individuals to begin closing the digital skills
gap.
According to Cameron Uganec, former senior director
of social, community and education at Hootsuite, “These
advancements mean that employees are being asked to use
social media more often and in unfamiliar ways.” And without the
right skills, work itself is bound to suffer.
What’s concerning is that despite this potential dent in
business performance, only 46 percent of companies are
investing in developing their employees’ digital skills.
A SOLUTION IN SOCIAL MEDIA EDUCATION
THE SOCIAL MEDIA SKILLS GAP
Basics like social media etiquette are already being taught in
the classroom, and educational institutions are partnering up
with businesses and social media professionals to develop the
relevant coursework needed get students up to speed.
Hootsuite’s Student Program, for example, offers free
coursework and certification to help professors and educators
bring social into their classrooms. “This program helps students
master professional social media skills through hands-on
practice,” Uganec explains. “As a result, they’re gaining a type
of expertise that’s in high demand and they’re entering the
workforce better prepared to work in a digitally
connected world.”
Within the digital skills gap, social media is one of the most
important areas to focus on. As one of the most accessible forms
of digital media, social is becoming an integral part of today’s
workforce.
Nine out of 10 businesses are now on social media, and they’re
not only using it to engage with their audience or promote their
products-they’re using it to transform the way they operate
internally. Forward-thinking companies are using it for employee
advocacy, recruiting potential hires and propelling internal
communications. Workplace by Facebook, for example, is making
cross-functional collaboration and sharing news
across an organization a lot easier.
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