\u00a9 shutterstock\/Creativa Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhen there is a mismatch between the need for specific skills, such as data science and Machine Learning, and the available supply, innovation is impeded. Organisations without the right skillsets may struggle to keep pace with the rapid development of technology and may not be able to take full advantage of the latest tools and techniques to drive innovation.<\/p>\n
Being proactive in addressing the challenges<\/h3>\n There\u2019s a clear opportunity ahead for organisations to take the lead in cultivating new talent and in supporting learning to help bridge the digital skills gap. Businesses and individuals alike can benefit from an approach that creates new and exciting opportunities for development, growth, and innovation.<\/p>\n
To achieve this, companies need to make learning and development a top priority and embed it into their overall strategy. One way to create a culture of learning is by offering employees training and development opportunities. This could include formal training programmes, workshops, seminars, online courses, and mentorship programmes. By investing in their employees, companies can ensure that they have the necessary skills to keep up with technological advancements and adapt to changing business needs.<\/p>\n
In addition to offering training opportunities, companies should also create a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable asking questions and sharing knowledge. This could involve creating forums or discussion groups where employees can share ideas and best practices. However, one of the simplest and most effective ways to encourage learning, in a practical way, is by opening hackathons to everyone, regardless of their background.<\/p>\n
Hackathons are a great way to boost skills in emerging technology, even for non-technologists, due to the outcome-focused nature of the events. Business participants can work alongside technicians and engineers to experience the application of ML and AI first-hand in a \u2018real\u2019 environment, witnessing agile sprints and data science in a contained but valuable way. When your data science talent is on hand to run practical lessons, or ask-me-anything sessions, it encourages everyone to think like engineers and sparks a desire to keep learning.<\/p>\n
Rewarding hackathon participants for playing a role is an additional incentive and can take the form of internal recognition or financial reward. Many people also value the sense of achievement for creating ideas that have a positive impact on the world of financial services, such as solutions based on inclusion or equity.<\/p>\n\u00a9 shutterstock\/Rost9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAttracting the right talent is more than offering higher salaries. It\u2019s about creating and maintaining a sense of curiosity and making the opportunities to participate simple and open. Organisations must ensure they communicate the opportunities for career growth and development to candidates. They should also consider partnering with universities, industry associations, and other organisations to create targeted training programmes for students, encouraging them to pursue a career with them through mentorship and practical work experience.<\/p>\n
Providing funding for skills development, such as those relating to industry-specific regulations, is another way organisations can encourage students to consider a career with them.<\/p>\n
By working together, companies and educational institutions can create programmes that provide both current employees and the future workforce with the skills they need to thrive, as technology continues to evolve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Find out about the impact of the digital skills gap caused by the new era of Artificial Intelligence and data.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":32514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[830],"tags":[570],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Bridging the digital skills gap to deliver innovation<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n