Narrowing The Digital Competence Gap
The survey found that more than eight out of ten women in Southeast Asia are interested in taking courses to develop their professional skills. Of those women, 30% expressed interest in learning about artificial intelligence, data, and analytics.
She Loves Data (SLD), a Singapore-headquartered global non-profit organization dedicated to creating equal opportunities for women in the data-driven economy, and Milieu Insight have conducted a Southeast Asia consumer survey to collect workforce insights on learning pathways.
Jana Marle-Zizkova, Co-founder and volunteering CEO at She Loves Data says, “As businesses across all industries embrace digital transformation, corporations and employers struggle to fill roles across all digital skills domains. We hope to narrow the digital competence gap with the new SLDxDigital training so women get their fair share of digital economy opportunities.”
The survey found that more than eight out of ten women in Southeast Asia are interested in taking courses to develop their professional skills. Of those women, 30% expressed interest in learning about artificial intelligence, data, and analytics.
Additionally, 44% of employees in Southeast Asia and 57% in Indonesia intend to switch careers within the next five years.
The survey also revealed that women in Singapore are less familiar with digital marketing compared to the regional average, but women aged 35 years and above in Thailand and the Philippines are highly motivated to upskill as they plan to establish their own businesses.
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As a response to the demand for reskilling, She Loves Data launched its pilot digital skills training program SLDxDigital in March 2023, designed to provide transferable skills in digital innovation, digital analytics, and data-driven digital marketing.
The program consists of three modules, each lasting four weeks, and will be delivered virtually on Saturdays to allow career women to participate. Upon successful completion of each module, participants will be awarded a digital certificate.
SLDxDigital aims to address the gender gap by creating equal opportunities for women in their career development and build a talent pool of skilled women for promotions to senior roles.
In her role as Program Advisor for SLDxDigital, Dr. Priyanka Dwivedi of Anglia Ruskin University notes that communities like She Loves Data can create a safe and supportive space for women to learn and network, which can have a significant impact on their careers.
Peer learning and networking can lead to mentorship, referrals, and sponsorship opportunities that help increase the representation of women in tech roles and build a talent pool for promotions to senior positions.
Marle-Zizkova, of She Loves Data, hopes that by supporting women leaders and providing training in tech, digital, and analytics, both private and public sectors can help future-proof the workforce amidst a global talent shortage crisis and under-representation of women in many industries.
Antarika Sen, PhD, Senior Researcher at Milieu Insight, emphasized the importance of accessible and supportive ecosystems to help women upskill and advance in their careers, noting that 79% of the region's female employees prefer professional courses to be conducted online.
She Loves Data encourages women interested in upskilling and organizations keen to partner with them to seek more information on their website.
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