Digital skills competency mapping in the Global Business Services sector
- June 27, 2023
BPESA is the recognised trade association and industry body for Global Business Services (GBS) in South Africa. BPESA’s mandate is to market South Africa as a top offshore location for outsourced services, stimulate local job creation and economic growth and to support the sector with skills development for a suitable talent pipeline.
Why is digital skills competency mapping a priority for the GBS sector?
Digital transformation has affected almost all sectors and industries across the South African economy. Digital skills are a critical success factor for the sector’s ability to transform, scale and remain competitive particularly across international markets. According to Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, we lose about R8.5 billion in export revenue due to a lack of suitably skilled talent to service the local demand for Digital and ICT jobs. This puts a big focus on the development of the local digital talent stack as there is a big opportunity to reshore digital jobs to South Africa over and above the broader focus on supporting the digital transformation of the sector.
The challenge for South Africa, and specifically the GBS sector, is that our targeted local talent pool is predominantly comprised of disadvantaged and marginalised South Africans with poor educational backgrounds and lower levels of highest educational attainment (HEA). This creates an impact on traditional sourcing and recruitment methods relying on traditional indicators for aptitude, potential and role fit which does not support inclusive hiring methods – at the heart of the sector’s growth strategy.
Compounding this challenge is the fast pace at which the digital economy has shaped skills development and credentialling impacting on businesses’ articulation of digital skills requirements and consequently market signals for talent.
By aligning to an adopted competency framework for digital skills for digital jobs and digitally enabled jobs, we will create a common language supporting a greater synchronisation between demand and supply in our sector.
What is the future vision for BPESA and the Future Skills platform?
BPESA mobilised a Learning Experience Platform powered by EdCast Cornerstone in May 2022. The platform is a shared sector resource and a key supply side enabler with a focus on digital skills for entry level talent through to senior and executive talent. At the heart of its value proposition is a rich and quality content marketplace supported by bespoke expert curated content and machine curated content to support demand-driven learning experiences for a plethora of learning requirements.
The vision for Future Skills is to support the sector’s growth targets for 2030 by enabling half a million South Africans with access to online skilling to support their careers. Great focus is being placed on creating sector endorsed and recognised training for in-demand roles where competency is demonstrable and there is a strong fit between skills and job opportunities. Future Skills will aim to align sector identified priority digital roles (digital and digitally enabled jobs) to the DSFOne to enhance the credibility of Future Skills acquired credentials driving relevancy for the incumbent workforce and employability for disadvantaged South Africans.
How will Future Skills get started with the incorporation of the Digital Skills One Framework?
In 2023, the Future Skills team will be developing a sector-focused digital work readiness programme with the intention to accredit and offer as a formal qualification to all job seekers using Future Skills to support their journeys to employment. The work readiness programme is not only being developed to align to the DSFOne framework but to put a focus on fundamental digital skills which are required for the increasingly digitalised economy and which are transferrable to support fluidity in the fast changing job market.
Sector Collaboration for Digital Transformation and related skills development.
The GBS/ BPO sector has a highly collaborative nature when it comes to skilling the current and future talent pipeline. Representative sector bodies like BPESA , Cape BPO and related advisory bodies are led by sector thought leaders. They have worked extensively on the digital future of the sector and the skills necessary to support its ongoing growth.
Current sector digital transformation research is underway and aligned to the research, traditional role profiles are being reviewed for new skills needed to perform in a range of roles from agent to executive in the sector or related sectors.
There is a recognition that digital skills are transferrable skills, yet do often take on a unique application in the GBS/BPO environment.
Future Skills development is being geared to meet these role competencies. The sector recognises the importance of embedding a strong foundation of digital skills from a schooling level and are engaging heavily with education and economic development department stakeholders to embed Digital Job Readiness at various stages within the education process. In addition Impact Sourcing, a well applied strategy in this sector, Work Readiness programmes are, as above, being aligned to the Digital Skills Frameworks, both our own DSF1 and broader global frameworks where relevant.
Globally recognised micro certification, high impact learning content and tool partnerships’ and access to aligned digital skills are a key pillar for the sector transformation strategy.
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