A Growing Digital Skills Crisis: A Majority of the Workforce Feels Unprepared

IBL News | New York

A survey conducted by Salesforce last month based on 23,000+ workers across 19 countries reveals a growing digital skills crisis.

The pandemic has accelerated this gap, addressing the need for a digital transformation. In addition, it has given businesses a unique opportunity to rethink how they connect with their employees, customers, and communities.

In the research, a total of 76% of global workers say that they feel unequipped and unprepared to operate in a digital-first world. However, only 28% of them are actively seeking skills training, according to Salesforce’s 2022 Global Digital Skills Index survey.

The survey also highlights a generational skills gap. Two-thirds of respondents say they’re unprepared for social media skills that the workplace will require over the next five years.

Only 31% feel “very equipped” for a digital-first job right now.

A recent Salesforce-commissioned RAND Europe Report estimates that 14 G20 countries could miss out on $11.5 trillion cumulative GDP growth if the skills gap isn’t addressed.

This comes as emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI, and the cloud, are amplifying businesses’ demand for specific digital skills — up to 50% in Europe and the United States, according to McKinsey.