The ICT professionals’ talent pool has been growing steadily in the past years, which is a promising sign for reducing the global digital skills gap. However, the talent availability varies from country to country, with smaller countries finding themselves at a disadvantage.
Nabila Salem, President of Revolent Group, argues that investing in up- and re-skilling of the local workforce would bring substantial benefits not only in terms of closing the digital skills gap, but in strengthening local economies. Staff retention rates are higher in developing areas, since, due to scarcity of job opportunities, employees are less likely to leave a company, especially if their employer invests in their career growth and skills.
Ms Salem recommends employers to identify skills gaps in their employees and prioritise their (re)training accordingly, thus saving on recruitment and adding value to business by retaining the employees’ existing knowledge and competences.
