The $150 billion IT industry in India, now staring at single-digit growth rate with slower intake of people, is also witness to new and emerging technologies, and domains that could brighten employment prospects. The industry that employs over 4 million individuals directly, has been constantly talking about re-skilling, efforts put in by both – the companies and the employees. With the rapid evolution the industry is undergoing, it is imperative that the industry needs to drive the skilling and re-skilling of new and existing talent, so as to guarantee that the requirements that will be created in the form of new jobs roles can be fulfilled efficiently and in time.

The IT industry today is subject to major trends – (i) emergence of AI and ML, and (ii) decreasing shelf life of legacy skill sets. Amid the paranoia that trends in automation, what gets blurred is the fact that there are a huge number of jobs being created in new domains that owe its origins to the same trends.  There is an increased need for re-skilling and to remain relevant in the industry and ensure they are where the growth is, employees need to be re-skilled on the latest and next-level technology.

As a professional, you are required to constantly learn. Be it through informal readings, or in an educational setting like a workshop or virtual classrooms, new experiences can provide new and important information that can supplement your overall skills and knowledge. However, there is quite a big difference between purely absorbing information and putting what you’ve learnt into practice. Without the latter, any training received or information gained goes undernourished, making it important to have strategies to effectively implement and enhance your learning.

However, the skill that today’s working professionals possess is limited to traditional skills which are no longer adequate. It is key that skill development must evolve to adapt to and keep up with the needs of this dynamic environment, and consequently, any and all learning interventions must be oriented towards this goal. So, what can one do to stay at par with the ever-dynamic IT ecosystem?

With innovations in IT, and the internet specifically, one now has to access a plethora of courses, learning interventions and platforms. A mere search can reveal a multitude of resources, be it on YouTube or open source research projects on GitHub, to job role-oriented training partners. Most of these platforms, if not all, also comes with a set of tools that bring together different aspects of learning to provide a full hands-on experience. Some of the tools offered include:

• Cloud-based labs to practice learning tools
• Virtual Instructors and mentors on Demand
• Live Projects for hands-on experience
• Case Studies based on real-world scenarios
• Assessments and Analytics for performance check

Whether we are onboard or not, innovations are being thrown at organizations at record speed. AI is becoming the norm, and digital transformation is taking hold. It is evident that the digital age has made repeated and constant learning and practising possible even for the most isolated learners. It also helps companies stay up-to-date with the latest technologies by facilitating better course structures and training pedagogies. With this in mind, it is only natural to come to the conclusion that change is the only constant we have. One needs to have a continuous eye on the upcoming technologies and be prepared with hands-on training given that upskilling is now easier, convenient and more feasible than ever.

(Author Keshava Raju is CEO and Founder, IIHT)