Right skills key to survive in changing digital landscape

To have a world-class skilled workforce in India, flexible skills are being promoted at the workplace to stay updated and relevant across organizations. 'So, digital transformation is taking place for productivity and growth which will lead to a continuous supply of talented professionals across fields," say Akshay Marwah and Mohit Marwah, Co- Founders & Co-CEOs, AAFT Online, in an exclusive interview with Bizz Buzz.

Why are creative millennials choosing to go digital for skilling up for career growth?

While some changes have been observed in the education pattern with CBSE introducing an arts-integrated curriculum, the Delhi government is emphasizing entrepreneurship curriculum and creative courses, and the change in the mindset of students and parents has resulted in a natural infusion of youth. It will help in nurturing creativity.

Why are IITians and doctors choosing creative fields for a career change?

For decades, conventional careers were considered as the only financially viable and most respected career options. Fortunately, those days are now behind us. Today, there is a mass realization that converting passions into careers is endlessly fruitful in the long run. Professional courses are readily available in several creative fields that can be leveraged by talented students and professionals who are looking to forego the beaten path and switch to more unconventional yet rewarding career choices.

Why are Gen Z digital natives struggling to find suitable courses online?

As time passes, the digital learning world is getting easier and more accessible but finding the right curriculum and good content is still a difficult task. For this reason, online courses are taken through a verbal feedback mechanism. This is why our ed-tech platform, AAFT Online, is investing in simplifying our curriculum and content through online educational technology to make the lives of Gen Z learners easier to transform the way we work now and, in the years to come.

How are entrepreneurs taking steps to address the acute skill shortage by offering solutions?

In 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that automation and artificial intelligence would cause 375 million workers, or 14 per cent of the global workforce, to change jobs or acquire new skills by 2030. Candidate behaviour is rapidly changing and transitioning to a new job amidst many job layoffs. And it will take time for the new workforce to fill the gap that is being created by changing jobs in the industry. That's why entrepreneurs and ed-tech platforms are offering courses tailored to the market's needs.

How is the human talent shortage getting handled in India?

To accelerate skilling initiatives, businesses are introducing company-wide skilling programmes to bridge the talent demand-supply gap to serve the market. To have a world-class skilled workforce in India, flexible skills are being promoted at the workplace to stay updated and relevant across organizations. So, digital transformation is taking place for productivity and growth which will lead to a continuous supply of talented professionals across fields.

How is AAFT online seeing the rise of the edtech industry and its continued growth in the country?

The edtech market is growing at a healthy clip with the entry of large companies and startups into this space. The growing internet and data penetration at affordable price points is making edtech highly accessible across the country's vast socio-economic landscape. Edtech players are paving the way for better quality education and unlocking new job prospects for students and professionals alike. The industry itself is creating several new jobs like online tutors, student counsellors, virtual lab instructors and course managers. The industry, therefore, is bound to continue evolving and growing in the coming years.