Thinking Digital? If Not, Why Not?
Digital skills are more than hot in recruitment this year. They are effectively a “must have”” The message now for jobseekers is to up skill in digital literacy. Still more the case if you aim for self employment, or want to set up your own business.
There isn’t a choice any more on the issue of digital fluency. Employers know that training is readily available, and expect you to take the initiative and get up to speed in “digistuff”. The good news? You don’t have to spend much – if anything – besides time and effort, so read on!
Teens take on digiwork as touch-screen gaming
Only a techie teen can keep up with the latest– latest digital application (and somewhere a nerdy 14 year old is working on something daunting as you read). Still, a whole range of digital programs, packages, applications that were once a specialist preserve have become the employment norm. If you have career aspirations but do not have digiskills to offer you are at a crucial disadvantage in the job market.Older workers beware. .
Spare a thought for the 12 million adults who are trapped in low-pay occupations because they lack ANY digital literacy. (It costs the economy £63 billion every year.) so schemes are afoot to help.But “So many people can’t get better jobs because they lack basic digital literacy,” says recruitment specialist Niki Chesworth.
Thankfully, for most working people in and around SW19 the digital skills problem really doesn’t lie in basics.
Online Digital Training
Screentime .. .digital skills are paramount now
Ladies first. Last May #SheMeansBusiness partnered with Enterprise Nation to offer digital training to 10,000 women in the 12 months ahead. Make contact through shemeansbusiness.fb.com/uk.
For everyone there are open access, often free, all affordable, digital training courses online.
Try:
- Alison.com acts as a one-stop shop linking to a mind-boggling range of free courses from Excel to Adobe Photoshop.
- The Shaw Academy is particularly strong on digital marketing via social media
- Reed (as in the employment agency) on reed.co.uk offers heaven knows how many discounted. Many are accredited vocational qualifications.
Most Wanted …Cyberskills
Do you already have a techie job? Do you want to up skill? The UK has a big demand at present for the cyber security skill set. There was 46% rise in demand in 2016, reports Experis. AND the Open University (open.ac.uk) has a free introduction to its own cyber security course.