Digital and Data Skills: The Increased Need for Development
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 Employment Projections: Fastest Growing Occupations report, web developers, data scientists, information security analysts, and software developers are projected to be some of the fastest growing tech careers over the next 8 years. That said, many businesses are seeking employees that have the digital and data skills to thrive in the digital economy of the modern world.
Digital and Data Literacy
Digital and data literacy encompasses a wide range of skills. Digital literacy, defined by the American Library Association, is the “ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills,” and data literacy is “the ability to collect, transform, evaluate/analyze, and communicate the results to others” (read more about these two essential skills here: Digital and Data Literacy: Two Essential Skills to Teach in 2021 and Beyond).
While these skills can be developed through a traditional college degree, entry tech jobs in web/software development and data science often do not require the employee to have a degree, but rather the skills necessary to be successful in the position and in the company. Some of the most in-demand digital and data skills include:
- Coding
- Data Analytics/Science
- Digital design
- Data Visualization
- Digital project/product management
- Digital Marketing/Social Media
All of these in-demand skills can be developed through other ways besides the long term commitment to a college degree. Certificate programs are a great way to develop the skills that are so relevant to today’s digital economy and job market. At an accelerated pace, certificate programs can be the more effective and cheaper alternative way to develop specialized digital and data skills that put you at the top of the resume pile.
Skills Based Hiring
Many employers are starting to realize the vitality of digital and data skills to the growth and success of their business and this realization might be a contributing factor to the increase in skills-based hiring across many industries. Skills-based hiring is when employers hire people “based on specific skills and competencies instead of education or experience (Arnold 2018; Gallagher 2018),” as stated in the March 2022 research report on Skills-Based Hiring. The demand for these skills continues to grow, making it valuable to consider how you might reskill, new-skill, and upskill to secure a new career, change careers, or advance a current one.
DWC offers a wide range of certificate programs that on average, only take our students about 4-6 months to complete (2019-2021 Enrollment Report). This means that you could develop your digital and data skills and land a new career (or advance a current one) all in the same year. As technology continues to evolve at rapid speeds, the need for digital and data skills across many industries is only going to increase. By completing a certificate program, you set yourself up for being valuable now and in the future.
Explore our certificate programs through our website: https://digitalworkshopcenter.com/certification-programs/