The rapid transition from an industrialized to a knowledge-based society has exposed some gaps in what are now essential digital skills, both in many current and future workers and in the business environment.
Information and communication technologies, also known as ICTs, have proven to be fundamental in improving business productivity processes.
So, what competencies do we need to gain a competitive advantage through task automation and its decision support function?
This is one of the many questions you will find answers to in this article, but before we get into the different competencies we will need to master, there is one key question to start with.
What are digital competencies?
Digital competencies according to the European Commission are a set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, strategies and awareness that are required when using ICTs and digital media to perform tasks, solve problems, communicate, manage information, collaborate, create and share content, build knowledge effectively, efficiently, appropriately, critically, creatively, autonomously, flexibly, ethically, reflectively for work, leisure, participation, learning, socialization, consumption and empowerment.
After this long definition, it should be added that ICT competencies encompass a rational and critical use of information and communication technologies for working and learning that goes beyond the merely instrumental knowledge of the tools.
Do I have the right ICT skills for the job market?
Let me ask one more question: what are the differences between the training process and business needs?
When it comes to entering the world of work, we will face stiff competition.
Our personal brand must be sufficiently worked and self-knowledge about our digital competencies is fundamental.
We must establish a difference between basic digital skills, those that any person must have in today's society to manage in the digital environment and those that must be developed specifically to provide a greater value that makes us stand out when we are taken into account to access a job.
Let's take a step-by-step approach and distinguish between core competencies from the training point of view and from the company's point of view.
Basic digital competencies for training
We must train future workers in the basic skills that we believe are most appropriate to facilitate their incorporation into the labor market but, above all, so that they can handle themselves with complete independence in today's digital society.
In this training process we will divide the digital competences in 5 different areas:
- Information.
- Communication and collaboration.
- Creation of digital content.
- Security.
- Problem solving.
Let's look at them in detail.
1.- Information
Purpose: recognize, process, locate, store, organize and analyze digital information.
Among other things would you know...?
- What you need to use the Internet, browsers, their types and uses, possible browser extensions, complementary applications, navigation bars, security measures...
- Exactly what you can find on the Internet.
- The different ways of doing a search, establishing a search strategy.
- Most used search tools.
- How to specify the searches.
- How to use the interrogation language.
- Where to find useful information other than a search engine.
- Verify the credibility of search results.
- Reuse the search experience in a varied and appropriate way.
- Organize and store digital content and information.
- Use information management services, applications and software.
- Access to previously stored contents without any problem.
Communication and collaboration
Purpose: communicating in the digital environment, sharing resources through online tools, connecting with others and collaborating through digital tools, interacting and participating in communities and networks, intercultural awareness, globalization of information.
Among other things would you know...?
- Use digital communication tools.
- Use the extensive potential of e-mail.
- Being able to modify information to adapt it to the medium through which it is transmitted.
- Appropriately transmit the information according to the target audience.
- Proactively participate in digital communication.
- Be aware of the risks of interacting in the digital environment.
- Identify property rights and use of digital resources.
- Sharing digital content.
- Use social networks for specific and elaborate purposes.
- Use complementary tools to social networks and digital services.
- Participate in the proactive development of digital content.
- Intervene in the collaborative dynamics of networking, working at a distance.
- Provide, receive and evaluate feedback on the network.
- Report abuses and threats.
- Develop strategies to protect oneself and others in virtual environments.
- Respect cultural diversity in digital communication.
- Build a digital footprint appropriate to your interests.
Creation of digital contents
Purpose: elaborate and edit original content (texts, images, videos...), integrate and redo previous information and material, elaborate artistic elements and multimedia contents, know the intellectual property rights and licenses of use.
Among other things would you know...?
- Create and edit, using different tools, multimedia content, text, image, sound and video.
- Perform digital representations of human knowledge.
- Contribute to public knowledge in forums, wikis, blogs...
- Create new content from existing content.
- Exchange content identifying the differences between copyright, creative commons, copyleft and public domain.
- Add a license to self-created content.
- Modify tool and software program configurations.
- To understand the operation of digital processes.
- Understand how the software works and how it is built, being able to configure it in the most appropriate way according to the needs.
- Understand the basic logic of programming.
4.- Safety
Purpose: guarantee of information and personal data security, protection of digital identity, security measures, conscious and safe handling.
Among other things would you know...?
- What are the risks associated with the digital world.
- Install virus protection software.
- Manage the proper use of passwords.
- Protect devices against phishing threats, phishing, malware, viruses, etc.
- What are the conditions of use of digital services and tools.
- To know the forms of advertising communication management.
- Know how personal data is used by third parties.
- Understand the risk of identity theft and know how to protect your information and that of others.
- Proper management of digital identity. Locate personal information in the digital ecosystem.
- Know the privacy tools in social networks and digital services.
- Know the current and future implications of personal posts on social networks and broadcasting services.
- Use different digital identities adapted to different objectives.
- Reflect on what we publish and who is affected by it.
- Know the risks of possible addictions to the digital environment.
- Use the digital media without depending on it.
- To have a general outline of how the digital world works.
- Understand the technological environment associated with purchasing or contracting decisions in the digital world.
5.- Troubleshooting
Purpose: recognize the needs for using digital resources, make conscious decisions about the most appropriate digital tools for the purpose or need, solve conceptual problems through digital means, use technologies creatively, solve technical problems, and keep your own and others' skills up to date.
Among other things would you know...?
- Identify a technical problem in a device and what the solution could be.
- To know the most appropriate sources of information to obtain possible solutions to technical problems in devices.
- Knowing where to look for useful information to solve problems related to the use of digital tools and services.
- Adopt a proactive approach to problem solving, seeking alternatives.
- Choose the most appropriate technologies according to the problem to be solved.
- Use the Internet as a reliable source of information for problem solving.
- To value and adopt different points of view applied to provide alternatives.
- Integrate collaborative solutions in conflict resolution according to the contextualization of the situation.
- Understanding ICT, its development, competencies and objectives.
- To have direct awareness of personal digital capabilities in the different areas of knowledge.
- Regulating self-learning through digital technologies.
- Evaluate one's own ability to use and knowledge of online tools.
- Set your own digital objectives by assessing your strengths and weaknesses.
- Offer support and knowledge to other users.
- Adapt to new technologies and adopt them in your daily use.
- Use digital tools to improve the quality of life.
- Discern in the appropriate personal use of which technology is convenient and which is not.
- Updating and expanding digital competencies according to personal and professional needs.
- Keeping up to date with digital innovations.
Is this enough or do companies ask me for more?
In this review I have indicated multiple and varied skills to find out if the person who is thinking of joining the labor market is able to meet the needs demanded by companies.
