We have a youth digital skills gap in the Caribbean.
We have a youth unemployment problem which is typically 30 – 40% on average across the Caribbean.
We have a tech talent gap.
As of December 31, 2017 we have 20,986,379 Caribbean Internet users and thats Just a 47.5 % penetration rate. Added to that, there are 16,498,000 Facebook Caribbean subscribers in Dec 31/17, which is 37.3% penetration rate.
We now have 100% mobile penetration in most Caribbean countries.
The Caribbean, without question has gone Digital.
Yet, There is so much more room to grow.
Further, we can now accept that the Caribbean’s business future which is Digital, is also synonymous with its trading future. Businesses and individuals need to invest the time and resources to understand their position in competitive global, regional and national digital markets, and what that might means for the mid to long-term their business viability and the digital skills they will need to innovate and thrive.
And if you are doubting the power of Digital that further underpins the stunning growth trajectory for Digital Skills, here is a simple factoid to push you over the edge.
“The value of social media to global business is about USD$1.25 trillion and will eventually be used to generate up to a third of all purchases.” says McKinsey Global Institute.
So what does that it mean?
That there is a glaring opportunity to train our Caribbean people on a variety of Digital Skills, where they can create their own jobs, get better ones with innovation-minded business in the region or around the world, and they can also launch their own startups.
With that here are some the Top Digital Skills needed in the Caribbean given the global trends which we have also paired with the unique needs of the Caribbean.
Top Digital Skills Needed in the Caribbean
- Programming and Web Development
- Mobile Application Development will continue to be in high demand. App developers fluent in multiple programming languages, including Java, HTML5, Objective-C, C++, C#, Python and Swift and also, app developers with UX and UI design skills are in demand.
- Digital Marketing-To promote their products and services companies will look to digital marketing. Understanding of how to get the most value for money out of the broadest range of ( social + ecommerce etc) networks will be key. Enriching customer relationships through digital remains a priority.
- Cybersecurity-Given the recent infiltration of networks, there is increased need for cybersecurity talent. For any company that collects customer information ordeals with sensitive data of their own, keeping networks secure is paramount.
- Agile Project Management
- Digital Design
- Big Data – With the rise of big data and machine learning, data scientists are becoming a key in many industries — from finance and banking to health care. Data is the new black gold! Plus compliance with new data protection legislations is also a priority.
- Creating and Curating Digital Content – From creating infographics to shooting and editing videos, online content creation benefits are many. Added to that, there is rising demand for Caribbean Content. Further, apart from creating online content (visual, audio, audiovisual), content curation is emerging as another essential digital literacy skill in the 21st century. The ability to collect, assess and create meaningful and worthwhile collections of various content formats is expected to become even more pronounced in the years to come.
- Experience with Artificial intelligence ( AI)
- Experience with Blockchain
- Digital Transformation – The skill to be able to identify and implement digital platforms across the whole organisation that will impact operational efficiencies and increase revenue-in demand.
- Talent For SaaS In The Cloud- Caribbean professionals with skills in cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) are hot. Think Virtualisation skills in Amazon AWS, Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware for private cloud hosting.
This list of course is not exhaustive of course, it is meant to be a guide to show to you the huge possibilities.
And while yes, without question they are the early movers who are teaching themselves via online courses, and others getting a Jumpstart on these skills with summer programmes from non profits. There are even a few companies that have opened shop in the last 4 years to teach how to create internet incomes, learn digital marketing and photography.
But there is so much more to do.
I believe that from inside business and governments they should offer courses, coaching and the encouragement to build trusted social networks that will help employees in building value for their personal brands, for their businesses and the organisations for which they now work and will choose to work for.
Another question to ask in this discussion around digital skills in the Caribbean is this.
Do our Caribbean people know they need these digital skills to remain relevant and to position themselves for the fast growing Global Digital Economy and the rise of Digital Caribbean. The answer itself, presents another opportunity.
