Closing the Digital Skills Gap with Adobe Analytics for Higher Education

Data is the cornerstone of the modern digital world; powering innovation and ingrained in every aspect of the digital economy. It fuels the growth of industries, and even entire sectors, and is recognised as a key competitive advantage. The better a business can capture, analyse and act on data, the greater their chances of success. Measurement is nothing without action, which is where the business world is facing a significant challenge: the demand for people with expertise in data analysis is far outstripping supply.

Research by WorldSkills UK suggests that 60 per cent of businesses expect their reliance on advanced digital skills to increase over the next five years. However, while the need is clear, there simply isn’t currently enough talent out there.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently issued a report stating that nearly half of businesses recruiting roles in the UK requiring hard data skills struggled to fill them. This should not come as a surprise; since 2015, the number of GCSE students taking IT subjects has fallen by 40 per cent. In fact, almost half of UK employers believe young people are leaving full-time education without sufficiently advanced digital skills.

That’s why we’re launching Adobe Analytics curriculum for education, a global program to give students and educational institutions access to Adobe Analytics and teaching materials so that the next generation enter the workforce with experience working with the same tools used by top UK companies including EE, Marks & Spencer and Virgin Atlantic.

As part of the Adobe Education Exchange, the offering has been developed in partnership with professors and institutions from across the globe and has four core modules that educators can choose from, focused on Data Collection; Strategy and Architecture; Standard Metrics and Functionality; and Analysis Workspace Fundamentals. By building proficiency in the tools used in industry, graduates will be ready to step into all manner of data-driven roles – from marketing to engineering.

Commenting on the importance of arming the next generation with industry-ready analytics skills, Dr. Alexander Grous, Lecturer and Researcher at the Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics, said: “Cutting-edge skills in analytics are essential for working in an increasingly digitally-native world. These skills are therefore in high demand by companies that must do more with their data to survive and thrive. Our recent research with Adobe demonstrates that speed, agility and personalisation are critical to both keeping pace with customer expectations and anticipating their behaviours. Companies hiring those well-versed in analytics stand the best chance of thriving in the new era.”

As we all know, where demand outstrips supply there is opportunity. For students looking ahead to finding their place in the jobs market, and the educators preparing them for life after graduation, Adobe Analytics for higher education presents the chance to bring much-needed skills to an under resourced market. Not only are employers recognising that expertise as a priority, but once in the job, those with a talent for analysis will drive businesses forwards, further enhancing their value to the organisation. It’s all in the data; for those that understand it, the future is bright.

For more information on the Adobe Analytics curriculum for education click here.