How To Get On Top Of Your Digital Skills

Why are digital skills important?

Computer and technology skills have, in the past, been a fairly niche area- the kind of abilities only those who have logic-oriented “brains” can master. And it is the kind of area which frightens those creatives amongst us. This was partly true for Millennials, maybe even for Gen Z, but for the younger generation (labelled Gen Alpha) it’s imperative that everyone has at least a basic level of digital literacy. Writing in and understanding basic coding languages such as Javascript, Java, C++ and Python is a must, as is being able to build a simple website or an app.

The English education system has always been rooted around the Humanities: subjects like Classics, English, Philosophy and History. Top universities like Oxford specialise in these subjects and are in many ways falling behind on more technology-focused courses; people who read any of the STEM subjects are still in the minority.

But ‘digital literacy’ doesn’t just mean doing technology-focused subjects at school like a Computer Science A-Level, an IT GCSE, or even pastime courses on data-learning - although these would be incredibly useful later on in life. It’s about harnessing the skills to use technology in every-day life.

And we don’t really have a choice. We have to ‘skill up’. The digital landscape has filtered into absolutely everything we do; our social lives with social media; our school and work lives with Microsoft apps like Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and then the many apps we use every day for revising, note-taking, shopping, paying and (not to forget) ordering food. We are clearly comfortable as digital consumers; the next step is ‘just’ to understand and to be part of the reverse side of that equation too.

Almost every single job nowadays requires a good level of digital skills- even in traditional careers like the creative industries, the civil service, education, medicine or finance. Then, of course, there are the kind of jobs which are being created entirely to support the growing dominance of Artificial Intelligence, such as Quantum Computing, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Biotech or Data Analytics.

So, it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of how.

Before diving into coding, more basic digital skills are often overlooked. Simple skills like being able to touch type (this will save you a huge amount of time with all that essay writing), to making graphs and charts in Excel, are the first to get on top off. Secondly, the ability to design and run a website is highly useful, and then, of course, there is necessity of coding.