India leads in digital skills readiness: Survey

Hyderabad: In India as high as 72 per cent of respondents say they are actively learning digital skills now to prepare themselves for the future of work. As many as 66 per cent of the respondents also said they feel equipped with resources to learn digital skills, according to Salesforce's Global Digital Skills Index that sums up global employee sentiments and readiness to acquire the key digital skills needed by business today and over the next five years.

The index is based on a survey of over 23,500 workers in 19 countries, with an average global readiness score of 33 out of 100.

Globally, skills in collaboration technology, such as Slack, are viewed as the most important skills needed by businesses today with only 25 per cent of respondents with advanced collaboration technology skills needed specifically for the workplace.

Digital marketing has been ranked as the top workplace skill with only 39 per cent of the respondents ratig their workplace digital marketing skills level as advanced.

Globally, 51 per cent of the respondents and in India, 54 per cent of the respondents want to learn new skills to help them grow their current career. By harnessing the potential of existing workforces, businesses can speed up progress towards closing their skills gaps.

The index also reveals that globally, younger respondents have greater confidence and ambition to learn new skills — over one-third of Gen Z are actively learning and training for skills needed over the next five years. However, in India, Baby Boomers are leading the way with 83 per cent of respondents actively learning and training for skills needed now.