Talent lack a barrier to digitalization

GLOBAL technology company Cisco on Monday said that while the government has been pushing businesses and government to digitalize, not all companies are able to keep pace with the rapid developments in technology with major employers citing talent scarcity as one of the barriers to digitalization.

Cisco said that the speed of technology innovation has accelerated immensely in recent years as technology is now deeply ingrained in how people live, work and interact with one another. This has enabled many digital-first experiences and opened new areas of growth.

At the same time, it has also resulted in growing demand for digitally skilled talent at almost every level of organizations across the Asia-Pacific region, echoing a trend seen across the world.

“While the competing effects of job displacement and creation will offset each other, many jobs are likely to be created in areas, which mean that talent in the region, including the Philippines, will have to adapt their skills and forge a new career path to remain productively employed in the labor market,” Cisco said in its statement.

It also said that 14 percent of small, medium businesses in the Philippines identified talent scarcity as one of their barriers to digitalization.

In line with this, Cisco said their Networking Academy, one of the world’s longest-running skills-to-jobs program, is offering technology education through strong publicprivate partnerships, a high-quality curriculum and inclusive workforce development programs.

“Digital transformation and technology adoption are transforming economies across the globe. For countries and businesses to fully harness the opportunities that are being created, they need a workforce with adequate skills,” Guy Diedrich, Cisco senior vice president and chief innovation officer, said.

“Through our courses, learning paths, network of employers, and partnerships with government, academic and industry leaders, we are not only helping train the workforce of the future, but also empowering the most disadvantaged and underrepresented to level the playing field,” he added.