As organisations start their planning for the new year, one question that must be top of mind is the issue of skills.
The pace of technology is relentless, driving a need to constantly re-evaluate skills, and ensure any gaps are filled.
A recent CompTIA research report on workplace trends indicates that talent management and skills development are top of mind for human resources (HR) managers as the increasingly rapid pace of technological change keeps shifting the goalposts and leading to skills gaps, skills shortages and skills mismatches.
Identifying skills gaps and aligning talent with evolving needs has become a critical priority for employers. But 81% of HR professionals report their organisation falls short of the target level.
A massive 91% of companies with a high degree of focus on skills are prioritising career pathways and internal talent mobility, with 81% addressing upskilling and reskilling needs with efforts such as skills gap assessments.
Essential digital fluency skills are shaping the future of work, with 86% of companies saying they are important, rising to 90% for firms with a high skills development priority; and to 91% for firms increasing their training budget this year.
Although the number of HR departments expecting to increase spending on training and skills development is just slightly higher than last year, at 57%, most organisations recognise the important of industry-standard training and certification.
But simply prioritising training might not be enough. Organisations need to create an environment where skills development keeps track with company strategies.
Budgeting is vital, of course, but also setting aside time for training and professional development; better data-driven tools to identify, tailor and implement training and development; more innovative approaches to developing skills and competencies; better skills taxonomies to more precisely map changing skills requirements to job roles; and cultural change throughout the organisations.
Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is top of the list for an increase in training spend, followed by cybersecurity and data analytics.
The trend to staff-led training decisions is growing. This has pros and cons, with staff more motivated if they have made the decision themselves, but possibly not in possession of all the data needed to make the right choice.
There are also a number of possible barriers to successful skills development outcomes. These include the cost of training (35% of respondents); lack of quality instructors or insufficient “train the trainer” (34%); concerns staff will leave for another job after consuming training (33%); training fatigue among employees (31%); and training option overload (30%).
The role of AI shouldn’t be overhyped, but it certainly can’t be overlooked either, says Loraine Voster, CEO of CompTIA.
“We are not seeing an immediate disruption from AI – at this stage it is seen as more of an add-on as people use it to be more productive or to enhance their current roles.”
And this is set to accelerate, she says. “What we’ve got coming in terms of AI skilling from CompTIA is going to be big.
“Over the next two years we will be bringing AI into each of the certifications that we offer, and also start to develop new career paths for AI.
“We recognise that some of the jobs people do today will disappear, while some new ones will be developed. But most people will continue to do the same jobs they do today – but maybe they will do them differently.”
While it is a major disrupter now and over the short-term, Vorster believes that issue of AI will even out at some point. “It will settle down and have its place.”
Right now, CompTIA offers an AI Essentials short course that is updated regularly, and will soon be offering more options in terms of AI.
There is no doubt that the demand is there. “Companies across the board are adopting AI, and this is opening the door to a lot of other issues: what AI is; how it should be used; the ethics around AI; how it can be used to improve people’s jobs and more.
“It is certainly gaining traction and there is a lot of interest from our customers and partners.”
How CompTIA partners in Africa
CompTIA offers industry-standard training and aimed at making candidates fit for the jobs or tasks they perform.
The CompTIA certification is standardised around the world and guarantees of level of competence.
CompTIA training is caters to different customer groups:
- B2C (business-to-consumer) customers are those that come to CompTIA directly. They are typically individuals, either students or people already in work looking to improve their qualifications.
- Corporate customers would typically work with partners, although CompTIA is able to assist them with skills audits, consulting or information sharing.
- Academic institutions include TVETs, high schools, NGOs and government, and they partner with CompTIA to offer courses and certification as part of their curricula.
Delivery partners work with businesses, individuals or government to train students, facilitate examinations and award certification on behalf of CompTIA.
The organisation is well-represented in South Africa and SADC, and is also growing its presence in the rest of Africa, including Nigeria, Rwanda and Kenya.