Digital Skills: What They Are and Why They Are Important for Businesses

The era of “New Ways of Working” that we are experiencing today inevitably brings with it the emergence of new competencies and skills. Among these, digital skills are becoming increasingly important. As research by Unioncamere also shows, digital skills are now required of 7 out of 10 workers, and this figure is set to grow even further, as demonstrated by the months of “remote work” during the pandemic and the widespread adoption of hybrid work today.  

What are digital skills?

Digital transformation and digital adoption are rapid, constantly evolving processes, and as a result, the very definition of digital skills has changed over time. One of the most well-known definitions of digital skills divides them into three categories:
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1. Digital citizenship skills, which refer to basic digital literacy that enables citizens to carry out activities online;

2. Workers’ digital skills refer to their ability to use IT and digital tools on a daily basis;

3. Specialized ICT skills refer to the specific and professional skills of professionals in the ICT sector.
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However, at present, this three-part classification may be somewhat restrictive and too closely tied to the field of ICT professionals. UNESCO, on the other hand, offers a broader definition, describing digital competencies in terms of:

“People’s ability to identify information needs, evaluate the quality of information, store and retrieve it, use it effectively and ethically, and use it to create and communicate knowledge”

This is a much broader definition that perhaps better captures the concept of digital skills, while also separating them from that purely technical and professional dimension that often gives rise to misunderstandings and myths—such as the idea that digital training should be the sole responsibility of IT department employees. Instead, as the UNESCO definition also demonstrates, the digital realm now encompasses every person, every sector, and every business as creators of knowledge.

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Furthermore, another significant aspect of the definition is the dimension of soft skills, particularly with regard to communication and problem-solving abilities. Therefore, perhaps a proper definition of digital skills must encompass both aspects—hard and soft.

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Finally, Gartner’s concept of “Digital Dexterity” can also be incorporated into this framework. Digital dexterity enables companies to rapidly adapt their organizational structure to get the most out of digital transformation, and this is fully realized by placing the individual and their skills at the center.

What are the most useful digital skills to acquire?

If we consider digital skills in a broad sense—that is, one that combines both technical and soft skills—in line with the Digital Skills Framework proposed by Xhaete Derchi ( authors of the book *Digital Skills*, 2018), we can identify the key digital skills most needed today as:

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· Digital Information: the ability to evaluate, organize, and filter information;

· Digital Content: Recognize and distinguish the unique characteristics of digital content, and process and develop it across different media;

· Digital data: reading, interpreting, and analyzing data streams while understanding their implications for people and business;

· Digital Empathy: acting and reacting appropriately in online contexts by fully understanding the dynamics of listening;

· Social collaboration:collaborating in workgroups in a decentralized, open, and delocalized manner;

· Cybersecurity: recognizing and understanding cybersecurity risks using the appropriate tools;

· Digital well-being: understanding the digital aspects related to one’s own well-being, that of others, and the environment, while learning the right behaviors to achieve a balance between online and offline life.

How can you easily acquire digital skills?

When we talk about competencies, do we really know what we’re talking about? First of all, it’s important to distinguish between knowledge, skills, and competencies. The European Parliament in theEuropean Qualifications Framework has outlined common guidelines that allow us to distinguish between:

1. Knowledge, or concepts acquired through theoretical study;

2. Skills, that is, the ability to put into practice what has been learned, both cognitively and practically;

3. Competencies, or the proven ability to apply skills in daily work or personal life.

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Therefore, for digital skills to be effective, it is essential that knowledge be transformed into skills and consolidated so that it can be recognized as competence.
An effective way to transform knowledge into skills is to use unconventional learning techniques, such as learning by doing , which allow information to be acquired in a non-traditional or non-theoretical way, stimulating an effective learning process and establishing new habits.
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The hi| habit-inspiring platform is based precisely on unconventional learning techniques ( such as nudging and learning by doing) that allow people to learn new skills in a practical and effective way while they are working.

Digital Skills: Frequently Asked Questions

What are digital skills?
According to a broad definition by UNESCO, they are people’s ability to recognize information needs, evaluate the quality of information, store and retrieve it, use it effectively and ethically, and use it to create and communicate knowledge.

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Why Are Digital Skills Important for Businesses?
The era of hybrid work we are experiencing today inevitably brings with it the need for new digital skills, which are essential for fully realizing the digital transformation of businesses. In fact, digital skills are now required of 7 out of 10 workers.

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What are the different types of digital skills?
Traditionally, digital skills are divided into digital citizenship skills (basic digital literacy); digital skills for workers (workers’ ability to use IT and digital tools); and specialized ICT skills (specific and professional skills of ICT sector professionals).

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