An Education Needs Assessment of CARIFORUM Firms

Text Box 1: Highly Demanded Tech-Focused Skills

Tech-focused skills are among the top upskilling needs identified by organizations and professionals. Multiple reports indicate high demand for skills in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning ; Virtual & Augmented Reality ; Data Science & Big Data Analytics ; Automation ; Blockchain ; Cybersecurity ; Cloud Computing ; Coding ; Software & Mobile App Development ; FinTech ; User Experience (UX) & User Interface (UI) Design ; and Digital Marketing & Video Production . Beyond hard skills, the pervasive nature of technology throughout organizations calls for staff-wide upskilling in fundamental digital skills such as: Digital Fluency and Citizenship (digital literacy, digital learning, digital collaboration, digital ethics); Software Use and Development (programming literacy, data analysis and statistics, computational and algorithmic thinking) and Understanding Digital Systems (data literacy, cybersecurity literacy, smart systems, tech translation and enablement).

UNCTAD outlines four different levels of digital skills which are needed based on the type of technology interaction.

Sources: Stahl (2021); UNCTAD (2018); Mcnamee (2021); McKinsey & Company (2021); Van Nuys (2019); Zavyiboroda (2022)

Annex 1 provides a snapshot of the predicted technology adoption and associated skills impact across 15 key sectors 1 , many of which are regional and national priority sectors of CARIFORUM

states (as later outlined in subsection1.2.1).

1 Advanced manufacturing; agriculture, food and beverage; automotive; consumer; digital communications and information technology; education; energy, utilities and technologies; financial services; government and public sector; health and healthcare; manufacturing; mining and metals; oil and gas; professional services; transportation and storage

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