The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) defines digital skills as using digital devices, community applications and networks to access and manage information. These skills may give you an advantage in specific technical careers such as marketing, design, development and data science. Learning these skills strengthens your existing skills to meet the demands of the digital world.

Since many individuals lack the expertise to operate in the digital era, digital skills training is required worldwide. To be effective, it must be needs-driven and tailored to individual and national context    

Importance of digital skills

According to the 2017 Global Innovation Index, several African Countries, including Kenya, Uganda and Senegal, have been classified as ’Innovation Achievers’.’ Despite this, many African nations haven’t benefitted fully from global technological advancements. However, in today’s world, technology plays an increasingly important role in the economy and society as a whole. Digital skills can help you increase employability prospects, advance your career and make the most of modern technology.

Acquiring internet skills is essential as the world is a fast-evolving digital world. Current technologies are being replaced by more advanced ones rapidly, so having a strong digital skillset and feeling confident in your capabilities to navigate a constantly changing digital environment will be very important for future employment.

I strongly believe that building or owning a digital skill set will help you:

• Adapt the right digital devices, applications, software and systems.
• Find, review, organise and share information effectively
• Handle data appropriately and establish good data security practices.
• Be able to communicate and collaborate in digital setting.
• Use different online resources and tools to help study remotely and engage effectively with your learning
• Understand how to protect yourself, other colleagues, to stay safe in digital environment. 

Conclusion

Digital capabilities are the skills, knowledge and understanding which helps individuals to live, learn and work in a digital society. These skills help us use variety of technologies appropriately and effectively in different spaces and situations.

Not only do digital capabilities help to engage and communicate with other people in your personal life, they also help you to succeed in the world of work. Employers are increasingly looking at what digital capabilities applicants and employees have. Skills in creating documents, presentations, spreadsheets and communicating via email and social media are important to many organisations. They want people to use technology to access information, be creative, innovative, solve problems, communicate, participate, learn and support others in digital spaces. Building and developing digital capabilities will definitely help to become better prepared and relevant for increasingly digital world.