AWS has released research showing that Indian workers who use advanced digital skills contribute an estimated $507.9 billion to India’s gross domestic product (GDP). This is attributed to the 92% higher salaries these workers earn compared to similarly educated workers who do not use digital skills at work. The “Asia Pacific Digital Skills Study:
The Economic Benefits of a Tech-Savvy Workforce” surveyed over 2,000 working adults and 769 employers across a range of public and private sector organisations in India. It classifies basic digital skills as the ability to use email and office productivity software, intermediate skills as the ability to design websites and analyse data, and advanced skills as including cloud architecture, software development, AI and machine learning. The study found that advanced digital workers benefit from more than just higher incomes, with 91% expressing higher job satisfaction compared to those with intermediate or basic skills.
The study also found that employers that rely heavily on advanced digitally skilled workers, digital technology and cloud technology see higher business growth and innovation. Organisations that run most of their business on the cloud are 15 percentage points more likely to have introduced a new or improved product within the last two years. However, the study also found that 88% of employers surveyed said it was challenging to find the talent they needed, with 60% preferring a bachelor’s degree even for entry-level IT staff. Nonetheless, 91% of employers said digital certifications or training courses were acceptable substitutes for a bachelor’s degree.
AWS is working with organisations such as Tech Mahindra Foundation, Perfios, the All India Council for Technical Education and Atal Innovation Mission to help bridge the digital skills gap. It has trained over four million people with basic, intermediate and advanced cloud skills in India since 2017. To further this goal, AWS is launching AWS re/Start Associate, a new track under its AWS re/Start program to help unemployed and underemployed IT professionals modernise their skills and pivot to mid-level cloud careers. The program will be delivered locally in India by non-profit education-to-employment organisation, Generation India Foundation.
Download the “Asia Pacific Digital Skills Study: The Economic Benefits of a Tech-Savvy Workforce.”