Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 76 | Page 69

t cht lk to think beyond their functional roles and contribute towards organisational success .

t cht lk to think beyond their functional roles and contribute towards organisational success .

There are umpteen ways through which CIOs can influence a company ’ s culture , such as accelerating the adoption of new technology ; helping employees quickly adapt and embrace new technologies ; prioritising ease of learning ; investing in workforce planning and analytical technology , so on and so forth . The ideal approach is to foster a strong partnership between HR and the CIO that ensures the delivery of the right quality of training and reskilling , in the right way and at the right time .
An extensive new Korn Ferry report states that by 2030 , more than 85 million jobs could go unfilled because there are not enough skilled people to take them . Skill building should not just be looked upon as a tool for job opportunities or to retain a current job , this must be incorporated from early learning institutions to establish a culture of learning and getting future-ready .
Every stakeholder , be it universities , organisations , and industry experts , need to collaborate to ensure that the technology skills needed for the future are being incorporated into education programs to mend the void . African countries must make concerted efforts on investments in equipment and ICT infrastructure , training , adaptation of training courses to the demands of the labour market .
There is an urgent need to have continuous dialogue with the private ICT sector to maximise the potential of digitisation to better train young people in all training courses . This will ultimately enhance the digital skills of the workforce and lead the way for the future cadre .
Besides , companies must perform skill gap analysis basis their long-term and short-term strategic needs and accordingly devise a carefully crafted training module that not only strengthens their competitive advantage but also boosts employees ’ morale as they are ultimately getting upskilled in new age technological solutions . While some businesses already have a strong in-house training and development system in place , they can also partner with external training consultants to ensure the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of the training .
We are also witnessing re-emergence of apprenticeship lately . Through apprenticeship , future workforce can get an immersive experience into a job for an intensive period of training , offering them direct , intensive interaction with professional mentors who help shape their skills and competence . Identifying high-potential IT talent and offering them apprenticeship roles in areas of emerging technologies such as robotics , machine learning , can prove to be a great way to expand internal capabilities and invest in retaining top talent . p
Harshvendra Soin , Global Chief People Officer and Head of Marketing , Tech Mahindra
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA 69