Cloud computing and cyber security set to top most wanted digital skills by 2025

The Building Digital Skills for the Changing Workforce report, prepared by strategy and economics consulting firm AlphaBeta and commissioned by AWS, surveyed 1,023 digitally skilled workers – in both technology and non-technology roles – and 326 employers in Australia, with representation from public, private and nonprofit sectors of different sizes and industries.

The report found that the ability to use cloud-based tools, such as cloud developer tools, cloud-based communication software, accounting software and customer relationship management software, is projected to be the most in-demand skill required by employers by 2025, followed by cyber security skills.

It also highlights the need for more advanced cloud computing skills, and that the ability to migrate on-premises facilities to the cloud is anticipated to be among the top 10 in-demand digital skills by 2025 in Australia.

The findings indicate that 62 per cent of workers in Australia feel they will require training in cloud-related skills by 2025 to progress in their careers. Among these workers who feel that they require training in cloud-related skills, 51 per cent feel that they will need to learn how to make use of cloud-based tools in their work, 27 per cent feel that they will require training in migrating on-premises facilities to the cloud and 25 per cent will require cloud architecture design skills. Other advanced cloud skills such as machine learning, will be in high demand in businesses from healthcare to agriculture, fintech to media and entertainment, which the findings indicate will emerge as the sixth most demanded digital skill by employers by 2025. Employers who support skills training programs see significant benefits, with 83 per cent reporting improved employee productivity, 85 per cent stating they were able to fast-track their digitisation goals, 81 per cent achieving cost efficiencies, 84 per cent reporting higher employee retention, and 80 per cent seeing increased revenue.

According to Genevieve Lim, director for Asia-Pacific, AlphaBeta (part of Access Partnership), while the need for digital skills has been growing for years, this research shows that job changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the need for more training for both tech and non-tech workers on digital capabilities in Australia.

“Organisations have accelerated their digitisation process to cope with the pandemic and ensure their long-term competitiveness.

“Transitioning into a digital-first economy will help countries’ recovery from COVID-19 and secure a stronger economic future.

“There is an urgent need for governments to work together with employers, training providers and workers to meet these diverse and growing digital learning needs,” Lim said.

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AWS aims to focus on breaking down barriers to help solve this challenge and is investing hundreds of millions of dollars globally as part of a global commitment to provide free cloud computing skills training to 29 million people by 2025. AWS is offering over 500 free digital training courses, available to anyone with a desire to learn and an internet connection.

The company is working directly with customer and partner organisations to help them upskill their employees. For example, AWS Skills Guild is a comprehensive skills enablement program that builds cloud skills across an organisation to help develop teams so they can innovate in the cloud. In Australia, they run programs with organisations such as Telstra and Deloitte.

To prepare the next generation of cloud professionals for early cloud careers and to build a diverse pipeline of entry-level talent into the workforce, AWS is also collaborating with higher education institutions, non-profits, workforce development organisations, governments, and employers on a range of digital upskilling programs. In Australia, this includes programs like AWS re/Start, which is a free, full-time, 12-week program that prepares unemployed, underemployed and transitioning individuals for careers in cloud computing. In Australia, this program is offered in collaboration with FDM Group, Academy IT and Goanna Education. AWS has already trained over 200,000 individuals in Australia with cloud skills since 2017.

Iain Rouse, director and country leader for AWS public sector in Australia and New Zealand, further explained that over the course of the pandemic, organisations of all sizes accelerated their digital transformation plans by several years, which drove an increased need for employers and their workers to advance skills training for cloud computing, cyber security and machine learning.

“The Building Digital Skills for the Changing Workforce report shows an urgency for workers and employers to increase digital skills knowledge and maximise the benefits of technology to individuals and organisations. AWS is committed to collaborating with industry and government in Australia to address the digital skills shortage and stay ahead of the training curve.

“We are embracing a culture of lifelong learning and micro-skills as the new operating model for the future and current workforce through programs like AWS re/Start.

“Our goal is to help people – from beginners to seasoned IT professionals – gain new cloud computing skills.”

Digital technologies are rapidly transforming every industry and occupation, Professor Rorden Wilkinson, pro vice-chancellor, education and student experience at UNSW Sydney added, emphasising that education is no exception.

“Building digital capability needs to be a core part of every curriculum.

“The use of cloud-based collaboration technologies has been critical to allow education to continue uninterrupted throughout the pandemic.

“UNSW Sydney is working closely with industry partners such as AWS to ensure our graduates are equipped with the digital skills they need to make an impact from day one – whether that is as an employee or an entrepreneur – and to assist experienced professionals to continue to refresh and upgrade their skills throughout their careers,” Professor Wilkinson said.

The report highlighted both the appetite from workers for digital skills, as well as the significant need from Australia’s employers for trained digital talent, according to Kate Pounder, chief executive officer of the Technology Council of Australia, who welcomed the report released by AWS, due to digital skills being identified as vital to Australia’s future economic prosperity.

“We believe Australia is fast becoming a world leader in the technology sector with the potential for the tech industry to deliver thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity over the coming decade.

“The tech sector is one of the most diverse, flexible and well paid across the Australian jobs landscape.

“We want all workers to have the opportunity to reskill into a career in tech or upskill into new digitally focused roles.”

[Related: CISA, FBI issue advisory against Russian state-sponsored cyber actors]