Growing global digital skills crisis and the urgent need for action

In the latest Global Digital Skills Index released by Salesforce conducted with 23,500 workers in 19 countries,73 percent of respondents in Singapore indicated that they do not feel equipped to learn the digital skills required by businesses currently, and 71 percent reported not feeling equipped for the future. However, only 29 percent of Singapore workers are very actively involved in digital skills learning and training programmes currently, signaling a worrying trend in the global digital skills crisis and the urgent need for action.

Furthermore, while the majority of Gen Z and millennial respondents (84 percent) reported that they have advanced or intermediate social media skills, only 40 percent feel prepared for the workplace digital skills required currently. The index’s overall global score for digital readiness, in terms of preparedness, skill level, access, and active participation in digital upskilling, is only 33 out of 100, spotlighting a strong need for global investment to bridge the digital skills gap.

Rise in Digital HQ: Businesses need to act now to close the global digital skills gap

According to the senior vice president and general manager of Salesforce, businesses need to start taking action now to resolve this digital skills crisis. In the Asia Pacific, cloud-related technologies will account for 18 percent of IT spending this year and are projected to grow to 29 percent in 2026. This gives rise to the digital headquarters (HQ) where workflows are made seamless to support workers wherever they choose to work from. With the digital HQ, workers would have to learn an entirely new suite of cloud technologies and collaboration tools. However, only 30 percent of Singapore respondents consider themselves proficient in using collaboration technologies such as Slack. According to Edelman Trust Barometer 2022, businesses are some of the most trusted institutions in the world and are seen as competent and effective drivers of positive change, therefore businesses are in the best position to address this skills gap. Companies start by incorporating digital skills training into their learning and development programmes for staff and more partnerships are being formed across public sector organizations and businesses to open up training opportunities for the larger community, reaching more people to help deepen their digital skills. The demand for employees with digital skills has increased and there is a growing appetite by the workforce to acquire such skills. In Singapore, nearly 50 percent of respondents reported that they plan to learn these new skills to help them with career development. Businesses have a responsibility to create close partnerships with governments, partners, and communities to address the global digital skills crisis with immediate and sustained investment in digital skills to offset job displacements driven by the transition to a digital economy. 

How can businesses do more to help their staff with digital upskilling?