5 Upskills Working Students Should Develop in Today’s Tech- Driven Era

It has become vital for students to upskill themselves in this rapidly changing digital world, here are 5 upskills for working students

Digital transformation is proved to be absolutely essential in today’s era. With the world in a state of flux,  the world has increasingly embraced and has been relying more on digital tools in every aspect of their work. The rapid adoption of the internet has grown exponentially, and now 40% of the world’s population uses the internet. According to reports, the global IT (information technology) industry is growing impressively and is projected to value more than $5.3 trillion by 2022 and is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% through 2024. Asia is estimated to be one large contributor to the global technology industry. These increasing developments in technology make it vital for students to upskill themselves in the rapidly changing digital world.  

Storage and management of data

The way the data is stored has changed over the years; at present, the data is stored and maintained in digital form. Around 90% of the world’s data was reported to be generated in the last 2 years alone. Having been stored in digital form brings a lot of security issues as these data carry critical information about organisations, research. The chance of manipulation of data increases. For this reason, cyber and data security plays a vital role. In the tech-driven era, it is important for students to have a thorough understanding of the risks of cyber-attacks and should have knowledge of how to protect and safeguard the data of the employers as well as maintain the data compliance of an organisation. The students should also ensure to have knowledge about cloud software (SAAS) as many businesses are now being run in the cloud. With almost 50% of the businesses experiencing cyber-attack, it becomes exigent for students to have a balanced knowledge of cloud software and cyber security.  

Digital problem solving

Every student in the tech-driven era should have a knack for digital problem solving as these problem-solving skills are a part of generic skills that every individual must possess in a workplace. As per research, for better growth of India’s workforce by 2025 at least 9 times the current rate should possess this crucial skill as of now only 12% of the working population possess digital problem-solving skills. Digital problem skills help the worker to find solutions to the problem and find remedies for unfortunate situations. It is crucial to have knowledge about when, how, and why the skills should be used depending on the situation. It is also crucially important to have practical knowledge of the digital problem-solving skill as only having contextual knowledge may lead to inappropriate situations.  

Social media for business

The use of social media in private and work life differ greatly and should not be taken for granted. Since, the use of social media for business helps the organisation to maintain a dynamic relationship with its customers and simultaneously compete with its competitor, the appropriate use of social media plays a vital role. Social media plays a very important role in business as the reputation of the organisation depends on it to a great extent. So, the students should have a balanced set of knowledge of social media in business and should be trained and acquire the understanding of social media and have a particular set of skills.  

Communication and collaborative digital tools

In the era that is driven by technology, almost all businesses have started to communicate with their customers and create deals to extend their business through the online mode. Since the state of a business depends on this collaboration and customer communication, it is important for the students to have knowledge about the use of applications and software for smooth digital communication. The students should not only have contextual knowledge of when, how, and under what conditions should the appropriate tools be used but also have practical knowledge for the same.  

Engaging content creation

Earlier this skill was only demanded by people working in content marketing, however, today, irrespective of the job title every working person should have the skill of content creation. This means, the students should have a good understanding of writing skills and content creation and should have the knowledge of using correct content and proper implementation of the applicable legislation. These upskill are very much essential for students to feel content and secure in a world with countless innovations in technology.  

Author:

Sachin Gupta, Chancellor Sanskriti University