Savvy businesses understand that to remain competitive in this digital era, they need to be innovative, drive operational efficiency, and offer the best customer experience.
And, because consumers are growing increasingly dependent on their mobile devices for personal and business use, this means offering them the apps they want.
Experts across the board have predicted that the demand for digital and software development will continue to skyrocket. In fact, research by Statista, revealed that annual mobile app revenues are set to reach $935-billion in revenue by 2023.
“This is just one of the examples around demand for talent. Others include robotics, data skills, UX/UI skills to name a few. With this kind of exponential growth, it will certainly be challenging for some organisations to keep up with the demand,” says Gary Bannatyne, MD and co-founder of The Digital Academy.
He says this is largely due to the talent shortage that many businesses are experiencing when searching for software developers to match their requirements. “The need for software development skills is soaring, and in a competitive job market, applicants must have the skills that organisations are looking to recruit for if they hope to be successful in their application.”
According to him, this is why Level Up, an institution that was born out of The Digital Academy, introduced a six-month course, called WorkReady that is not only highly affordable, but was specifically created to transfer all the skills today’s entrants require to enter the workforce and land the jobs that will start their journey into today’s fast-paced digital economy.
“This is the future of education in South Africa today. At Level Up, while we would never disparage the value of a university education, these institutions have encouraged a process that too often does not lead to meaningful employment for students. What they need today, are real skills, and ones that see them walking into gainful employment.”
He says there are many new jobs and roles that emerged out of the digital age, and a university degree simply is not a requirement for many of them. “In addition, South African entities across the board are searching for the skills they need to help them with their digital transformation efforts, so they can remain competitive and ahead of the curve.”
This is why the majority of organisations are trying to find talent with the right attitude and aptitude, and individuals who are able to scale up their learning. “At Level Up, we understand that practical application is the best place to start, as this means you will end up with staff members who can rapidly add value by getting straight on the job and have the ability to pivot their skill set to suit a changing landscape.”
Bannatyne says the Level Up WorkReady course was designed to provide the most relevant skills for any individual who is looking to pursue a career in the software industry. “The WorkReady modules were tailored to enable learning to take place in a simulated working environment, with an emphasis placed on practical orientation.”
The Digital Academy is at the vanguard of digital skills development interventions. “A staggering 87% of our graduates are placed straight into jobs, and our industry retention rate is 93%. These results have been achieved through nurturing strong relationships with corporate South Africa, as well as proven teaching methodologies in building our industry-leading, demand-led courses.”