Why Your Dollars Should Be Going to Data Literacy
Data Literacy – Here’s What We Learned from SXSW EDU This Year
Investing in your company’s future includes training for current and future employees in data literacy. Nancy Lue, Sham Mustafa, Tanya Beja, and Evan Heit discussed this at the SXSW EDU 2023 panel.
The Growing Demand for Data Literacy Programs
These data literacy skills are in high demand, but there’s a shortage of qualified individuals. Employers recognize the need for upskilling and reskilling to fill critical positions and retain top talent. They also realize it helps them stay ahead in an age of automation and information. Organization-wide data literacy programs are gaining interest across industries like Amazon and John Deere.
Amazon is taking the initiative by investing heavily in upskilling their frontline employees. While not everyone will become data scientists, Amazon aims to make everyone data literate. As a teacher, I strongly believe that there is a significant gap between what we offer and what the job market requires. Therefore, it becomes crucial for employers to step in and fill this void to remain competitive.
Another issue at hand is that many individuals fail to see the connection between certain businesses and the importance of data literacy. This mindset needs to change. For instance, during a recent talk, one of the leaders at John Deere highlighted that most of their new hires will be data scientists – indicating how they view the future of the agriculture industry.
Correlation One & Enterprise Training
Correlation One is an education technology company focused on data skills for enterprises. They offer three services:
Data science training, machine learning, and AI support
Diverse talent training and recruitment
Data science competitions
These services address the need to find questions and use data to answer them. Regardless of your business model, essential questions can reduce expenses and increase profits. Correlation One emphasizes having data-literate employees who pose and address these questions collaboratively.
Benefits of Training Employees
There are no less than 12 benefits to training your employees:
Employee turnover reduction
Layoff reduction
Improve employee engagement
Gain a recruitment tool
Increase productivity
Improve team functionality
Build a competitive advantage
Prevent and address skill gaps
Talent pipeline increase
Enhance management
Reduce reliance on contractors
Increase employees’ sense of security
Investing in employee training can have significant benefits for businesses. Additionally, as Sarah Megginson explains, happier and more engaged employees are more likely to go the extra mile for their employers. This increased motivation can lead to positive results and ultimately create a happier boss.
So… if you have a business, make a plan to train your employees. It might cost you a little money now, but the return on investment will be well worth it.
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This article was written by Candace Wofford, a proud graduate of The University of Texas, where she earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She holds an M.S. in Marine Science with a focus on Reproductive Endocrinology and is also an expert in the Social and Emotional Learning field. Candace shares her passion with fellow teachers and high school students, inspiring them to become the best versions of themselves.
She is a mother of two beautiful children, Jace (5) and Piper Beverly (1.5)—together affectionately known as PB&J—and is happily married to her action sports expert husband, Jade.