Closing the AI and automation skill gap in modern enterprises

The world is on the threshold of a new wave of digital acceleration powered by AI/machine learning (ML) advances and the pervasiveness of automation technologies across the breadth of enterprise operations.  

IDC’s Worldwide Enterprise Intelligence Services Survey 2023 reveals that the public launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 has more than doubled the proportion of enterprises actively working on use cases that leverage Generative AI capabilities (16% pre-ChatGPT vs. 42% post- ChatGPT).  

Sourcing the right organizational skills and talent can be challenging. Businesses must increasingly be creative in scouting the right people at the right time and place. However, securing the talent is just the initial step. Developing and retaining the talent pool within an organization requires some significant work. In these stages, leaders need to maximize available training and development resources. 

According to the IDC Global Skills Survey 2022: 

• Offering robust learning and development opportunities is one of the top strategies for attracting and retaining IT professionals globally. 

• Survey respondents overwhelmingly believe technology providers or their learning partners impart technology-related training most effectively. 

• Investing 35–40 hours in training for each employee involved in an automation project correlates with a project success rate of 80% or more. However, the average training received is less than 25 hours, which leads to a success rate of less than 45%. 

A structured and meticulously designed automation training and certification initiative significantly enhances the prospects of achieving successful outcomes. Even more when it's driven by an automation technology provider. Such a structured program imparts essential skills and cultivates a deeper understanding of automation technology’s nuances, application, and integration within the enterprise ecosystem.