If you don’t believe you can change your life and your career in a year, then you haven’t tried learning a new skill in digital technology. Matriculants have received their results, countless job seekers are looking to accelerate their careers and thousands of unemployed youths are desperate for new ways to upskill themselves this year, new and promising developments are being made in the tech and digital economy creating more career opportunities than ever before.
What does it mean to future-proof your career?
Future-proofing your career means choosing to acquire skills that most employers want in their organisations now and well into the future. Certain digital skills rank highly in this category. Every industry has been impacted by digitisation and soon there will be no career path that doesn’t require some form of digital skill.
Divesh Sooka, General Manager at ALX, a leading technology training provider and a division of the global youth skills company Africa Leadership Group (ALG) says, “The only way to break into a lucrative and promising career in the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector is to learn the skills that are most sought after by the tech firms leading the digitisation of the global economy.”
Skill areas such as software engineering, data science and analysis as well as cloud computing are skyrocketing in demand and the faster young people can access high quality training, the faster they can acquire jobs and emerging economies in Africa such as South Africa can compete in global markets for ICT.
Why complete a short course instead of spending years in university?
Sooka says, “Specialised and focused skills that bridge the gap between universities and apprenticeships are critical and desperately needed. For example, ALX’s intense and rigorous courses require no previous experience and focus on practical outcomes rather than just theoretical understanding, giving youth access to world-class courses of Silicon Valley standards.”
Acquiring digital skills can create opportunities in a wide variety of industries, providing job opportunities and equipping youth with essential skills for the future digital workplace while providing a lasting solution to the global technology talent shortage.
Five tech careers matriculants and mid-career professionals should consider
Sooka highlights the following five careers those wanting to start a career in tech should consider taking.
Software Engineering
Learn to create and manipulate the building blocks that create digital platforms that we use to operate computers, mobile devices and other technology. These skills are the basics of designing and operating software that powers everything from video games and mobile apps to aviation systems and missions to the moon.
Data Analyst
Data analysis is the processing of information in a way that helps organisations solve complex problems in their systems and operations, a Data Analyst it is one of the most sought after skills in the global labour market.
Data Science
Like data analysis, data science is about the processing of information to solve problems in complex systems such as the running of a business or an organisation. Data science delves into the systems and platforms created to aid in the analysis of data, including the mathematical processes involved in data analysis. These skills enable you with a pipeline to a promising, high-earning career.
AWS Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the widest used cloud services in the world. The growing demand for cloud storage and computing services around the world has made this a high-demand area for skilled professionals, especially cloud practitioners. A cloud practitioner is a technician that is well versed in cloud computing that helps companies use a cloud computing platform according to its specific needs.
Salesforce Administrator
Salesforce administrators solve business problems by defining system requirements and customising the Salesforce platform for users of the software. These skills teach you how to make salesforce work best for the specific company that uses it.
ALX’s is providing one-year courses available from this month, that are easily accessible and fully funded by ALX in partnership with Mastercard. The courses have been designed with world class Silicon Valley expertise from the Holberton School, recently acquired by the skills provider.
Global industry players in the digital and tech industries are looking to Africa as an emerging hotspot for skilled digital talent. “To help boost this skills revolution, ALX’s mission is to harness Africa’s abundant human capital by developing three million ethical and entrepreneurial leaders from the continent by 2035” concludes Sooka.