Do university graduates have the
skills they need to succeed in an
increasingly digital workplace? Given
the amount of time young people now
spend online, it would seem that the
answer is an overwhelming ‘yes.’ In
reality, however, the digital skills gap
is estimated to cost companies over
$1 trillion in productivity annually,
according to one poll.
A recent Capgemini study lists social
media as one of three top digital skills
essential to a company’s success.
This may not be news for followers of
the Hootsuite blog, since we stress
the importance of social media for
businesses on a regular basis, but
research has shown over half of
surveyed companies found crucial
digital skills lacking among the
employees. As a result, companies
are becoming more aware of the need
for digital education for their current
employees, and are increasingly
looking for these skills in new hires.
It’s a tough job market out there for
soon-to-graduate Millenials. That’s
why educators need to provide their
students with digital insight that
employers seek. And while they may
seem like they have social media
covered, social-savvy employers say
they have a lot to learn.
Dr. Emily Kinsky , Assistant Professor
of Mass Communication at West
Texas A&M University, says that while
digital skills training can sometimes
fall behind on the list of priorities for
companies, it’s not something that
can be ignored for long. “Companies
likely struggle because they have to
put most of their attention toward the
bottom line. Training employees on
the latest digital skills is probably
something they want to do, but so
many other things are on the list
ahead of it and plenty of daily “fires”
pop up that have to be extinguished,”
she says. “They need help.” Dr.
Kinsky uses Hootsuite’s Higher
Education Program , as an example of
training and education looking to
address this digital skills gap before
students enter the workforce.
It pays off both for businesses and the
students to improve their social media
skills before they enter the workforce.
In the best-case scenario, employees
will receive in-house digital skills
training after onboarding, but the
majority (77 percent, as this study
found out) will be letting that skills
gap drag their business behind their
competitors.
Consider another statistic: it is
estimated that by next year, 90
percent of all jobs will require
Information and Communication
Technology skills. This goes beyond
the ability to write professional emails
or build an Excel spreadsheet. Authors
of the Capgemini study recommend
that employers filter candidates based
on their digital skills efficiency and
online influence. This means teaching
university students to maintain a
consistent social media presence will
soon not be enough—instead,
educators will need to prepare
students to perfect their digital
prowess and tailor their social media
expertise. Digital skills are
increasingly in demand, and the gap is
on moving terrain.
In fact, one of the challenges
presented by teaching social media is
the industry’s ever-changing
landscape. Textbooks written this
year may become obsolete in the next
two. Dr. Kinsky says one of the things
educators must do to avoid using
dated strategies is to have students
practice using digital tools. “You can’t
just talk about the digital landscape,”
says Dr. Kinsky; “students need
examples, practice, and feedback.”
Salisbury University graduate Jennifer
Hernandez confirms this, explaining
how digital skills and practice made
her a standout candidate for jobs.
“During my job search, one of my
most impressive qualifications was
my Hootsuite Professional
Certification, ” says Jennifer. “Many
employers had not heard of the
[Hootsuite dashboard] and were
fascinated when I explained the value
offered to their company through its
many time saving features. It
definitely made me stand out amongst
candidates because it showed that I
was up to date with the latest
technologies in our industry.”
In order to help educators teach the
right skills for social media,
professors and instructors can sign up
for Hootsuite’s Higher Education
Program. This program is free for
educators and provides access to
courseware, lecture videos, and tools
—everything needed to teach social
media effectively.