FEATURE : SKILLS & TRAINING
Alice Grasset , Head , Marketing , MEA , Salesforce
Strydom said a CIO should be able to recognise technologies and pre-empt the need for skills . “ To preface training , it is about the approach that you need skills in IT , foundational skills , such as Linux and how you define those foundations for a great software engineer would depend on your business needs . For example , cloud computing skills are not defined but come with each vendor certifications and skills that would inform a skills roadmap ,” he said . “ The question would be how do you make use of available resources and be able to cross-skill staff and have the flexibility of working in multiple technology domains ?”
He explained that Big Data skills have so many facets and training roadmaps for someone wanting to specialise in AI , data science and analytics would show skill in vendor specific training and certifications .
Kumar explained that there is a continuous demand for talent within the organisation and Cloud Box Technologies strives to instill a culture of ownership , accountability and entrepreneurial thinking . “ This allows individuals to make clear links between their business decisions , the impact of those decisions , and the success of the company . This creates an environment and culture of ownership that will transfer over into a culture in which individuals take responsibility and ownership for positively influencing business results ,” he said .
According to Kumar , some of the biggest workplace challenges when it comes to training and development within Cloud Box Technologies are hectic employee schedules along with their existing day-to-day work coupled with different learning habits within the team . “ Corporate skills , particularly technical skills , are rapidly changing , keeping up with those changes is important for employers to stay competitive ,” he said .
At Obsidian Systems , Wilhelm Strydom , said the key areas for a CIO to manage is the retention of skills by building a culture of continuous learning and crossskilling which benefits both the individual and the company as a whole .
Strydom said in today ’ s business environment , creating a cohesive and robust company culture is vital . “ To keep up with new technology trends driving demand for solutions requires a clear strategy . Company culture must embrace adaptability . Change of environment and technology are constant and the company culture should support and enable employees to meet personal growth goals that are aligned with the company ’ s strategy ,” he added .
He noted that in a distributed and remote work environment , company culture provides something for individual employees to connect to and carries through how team members communicate and collaborate with each other and how they engage with customers .
Alice Grasset , Head of Marketing , Middle East and Africa , Salesforce , said even before the pandemic , the impact of Digital Transformation on the Middle East ’ s civic spaces and the world of work had resulted in a major disconnect between education systems and the needs of global economies and societies . “ Increasingly digital competences are becoming just as important as the ability to read and write ,” Grasset said . “ Although academic institutions have encouraged the building of careers in the fields of science , technology , engineering and maths ( STEM ), there remains a lack of understanding of how accessible digital careers can be . Working together , education systems , governments and businesses can provide knowledge , training and skills to break down barriers to those participating in the digital economy , entering the tech industry and ensuring no one is left behind by technological advancements that will continue long after the pandemic .”
Grasset said Middle East businesses don ’ t just have a responsibility to provide opportunities for communities to retrain and transition to the jobs of the future . “ It ’ s
42 INTELLIGENTCIO MIDDLE EAST www . intelligentcio . com