Digital Upskill: Improving Your Technology Skills

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

If you asked me to name the top life lessons of 2020, my list would likely include these words: Technology skills are a necessity.

For the past eight months, many people have been working online from home. This kind of work requires a higher level of computer skills than ever before.

Now, there is even a term for it: "Digital upskilling."

Patricia Miller¹ works for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Tampa, Florida. She signed up for the company's "Digital Accelerators" program. The training is designed to strengthen the high-tech² skills of PwC's workforce³.

Miller told Reuters news agency that before taking the class, she did not know how to write computer code. The program helped Miller to upgrade her digital skills. For example, she learned a coding language called Python.

Miller once worked in human resource and project management. The training helped her to become a leader in the office's information technology (IT) operations team.

"And now every time I get to use my coding skills like Python," Miller said, "I do a little happy dance."

Digital upskilling is not new. However, the COVID-19 health crisis has led to big changes and made this happen even faster.

Gianni Giacomelli is chief innovation officer at Genpact, a New York-based business that advises companies on business operations. He also is head of innovation design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Collective Intelligence Design Lab.

Giacomelli says that since the COVID-19 pandemic started, many businesses have been fast-tracking their use of digital technologies.

"They are enabling people to learn wherever they are, whenever they want, on any device," he noted⁴.

A company can be more successful or earn higher profits if their employees are "up to speed" on the latest technologies.

But what tech skills are we talking about?

This past summer, the career website LinkedIn looked at job openings for in-demand work-related skills. Most of the skills were technology related.

Working with Microsoft, LinkedIn has set up free training for in-demand jobs. These include positions as a computer software developer, digital marketing⁵ representative and IT administrator⁶.

But it is not just the technology industry that must digital upskill.

"Before, there used to be tech jobs and non-tech jobs. Now there are just ‘jobs'," said Joe Atkinson. He is PwC's chief products and technology officer. He added that everyone needs to be at ease when using technology.

Experts offer a few suggestions on how companies should support digital upskilling. However, these guidelines can also be helpful for individuals and families.

Think small

For many people, learning just does not get done because the work can seem so massive, even frightening. Breaking larger learning goals into smaller tasks, or projects, can help.

"If you ask an employee to find six hours for a learning effort, that's really hard," said Atkinson. "But if you ask them to find 15 minutes -- that's a lot easier.

He calls it a "bite-size approach." And he thinks it can make a big difference.

Think as a group

For some businesses, having an employee learn a digital skill alone on a computer might be a good idea. However, it may not help the company as a whole.

Instead, Genpact's Giacomelli suggests that companies think about the whole company and how employees interact with each other.

"Create opportunities for employees to source knowledge and learn from each other," he said.

This idea can be likened to how many families operate. Does someone in the family have knowledge the others do not? Create a way to share it.

Create an ongoing⁷ learning habit

Technology can change very quickly.

For example, the coding language Patricia Miller learned, Python, might be out of date in a few years. So, experts urge you to find ways to always keep learning and improving your technology skills.

Words in This Story

lesson – n. something learned through experience

digital – adj. using or characterized by computer technology

accelerator – adj. a substance that speeds a chemical reaction

management – n. the act or art of managing : the conducting or supervising of something (such as a business)

code – n. a set of instructions for a computer

upgrade – n. to raise or improve the grade of : such as

innovation – n. a new idea, method, or device

fast-tracking – adj. to speed up the processing, production, or construction of in order to meet a goal

opportunity – n. a good chance for advancement or progress

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

3 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。