Digital skills refer to the ability to find, evaluate, use, share, and create content using digital devices such as computers and smartphones. They are necessary for the workplace and have been for decades, as long as there have been computers, servers, and electronic communications. Digital skills are crucial for businesses across industries that want to raise brand awareness, offer great social customer service, generate leads, and increase revenue. They are also essential for daily life, as many jobs today need digital skills, and people need them even for jobs that do not ask for high levels of qualifications or experience.

There are two categories of digital skills: basic digital skills and advanced digital skills. Basic digital skills refer to the essential skills needed to use computers and digital devices to access and manage information. They include digital foundation skills, digital communication skills, digital security skills, digital content creation skills, digital problem-solving skills, and digital collaboration skills. Advanced digital skills, on the other hand, include programming, web, and app development, digital business analysis, digital marketing and content creation, digital design and data visualization, digital product management, data science, and user experience design.

Learning digital skills is important because digital transformation is on the rise and affecting every industry imaginable. Students that learn digital skills not only make themselves more employable but future-proof their career by understanding key digital channels. Employers who want to future-proof their business by introducing digital technologies have to recognize the importance of digital skills and create an environment where employees can upskill and reskill their digital skills.