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Be Kaler
Be Kaler 5 September 2014
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How Can We Avert a Digital Talent Crisis?

As organisations enter the ‘digital transformation age', they are realising the value of viewing the future from the perspective of what the world needs next rather than how they currently do business.

As organisations enter the ‘digital transformation age’, they are realising the value of viewing the future from the perspective of what the world needs next rather than how they currently do business.

 

As a consequence, their focus on scaling new heights in digital innovation is peaking, leading to a comprehensive review of the skills required of a digital professional. 

 

One thing is for sure, these skills are expanding at a rate that shows no sign of slowing down, and those who can lead and deliver a digital experience effectively are in very high demand indeed. To say we are currently facing a talent shortage that requires some drastic actions is an understatement. 

 

So what is being done to avert a digital talent crisis?

 

Academia is one way of putting what we know to date into a format that’s teachable and digestible. If we take UX as an example, only ten years ago there were barely any UX degree programmes, let alone certification organisations. As a result there wasn’t a standard. There were lots of people at different levels following something they believed in, with varying degrees of research and experience to back this up.

 

Nowadays we have an influx of degrees with modules covering the core principles of research, testing, evaluation and interaction design as well as information architecture, all of which are producing some successful UX practitioners and leaders.  

 

What we now need are more in-depth degrees which mesh commercial with digital and offer practical experience on projects. The time is right too to take learning out of the classroom and into real work environments where experience and learning is gained via good communications and real-life design.

 

Back in the 1940s the transistor took us by storm. Then in the 1970s computers started emerging. Now, as we experience the digital revolution, we need to realise that we are still very much at the prototype stage. As a result those entering into the digital workforce are effectively creating the future as they go. This means that all the rules are being re-written. There is no benchmark in reality, we are re-defining this too. However rather than see this as a challenge, we should be embracing it as we stand on the cusp of exciting, limitless experiences, and acknowledge that the old rules no longer apply.

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