Published: Sep 9, 2020 by Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead In Small Business Trends (Link to article: https://bit.ly/2ZruoZU)
Entrepreneurs are using the pandemic to improve technical skills. YouTube is proving to be the leading resource to help people sharpen technical skills. Among the top skills people are leaning is software, telecommunication, and digital media proficiency.
These were the findings of research by BoxBoat, specialists in helping companies achieve digital transformation through modern technologies. The study surveyed over 1,000 employed and furloughed people to determine the tech skills they are learning during the pandemic. BoxBoat’s report is titled ‘Leveling up Tech Skills During Covid-19.’
Learning and Improving Tech Skills on YouTube
One key finding of report is that YouTube is the primary resource to learn and improve tech skills. 58% of participants use YouTube to sharpen skills related to tech. The second most-used resource to hone up tech skills is hands-on experience. 43% of those surveyed say they rely on hands-free experience to learn and improve on tech skills. 40% say they use free online courses, and 37% admit to using online articles or blogs to make such improvements.
Improving Tech Skills is a Win-Win for Employees, Employers and Entrepreneurs
Improving and diversifying technical skillsets is a win-win for businesses, entrepreneurs, and employees. Adding more tech strings to their bow, can make employees for employable. For entrepreneurs, being gifted in software, telecommunications, digital marketing and more, can help business ventures succeed. For small businesses, improving the tech skillsets of workers can enhance and streamline operations. It can also help boost employee morale, and lead to a more profitable business.
YouTube is one of the easiest, most affordable, and, as BoxBoat’s research shows, the most popular resource to gaining new tech skills.
As the authors of the report note in a blog about the survey: “Not only was YouTube the most common resource across all generations and overall, it was also voted the single most valuable resource for learning new tech skills during COVID-19. One in four respondents gave YouTube the MVP award.”
High Demand for Software Proficiency
The study explored what areas of technology people learned or improved during the pandemic. Software proficiency was the most common skill people learned, with 42% of participants saying they concentrated on software skills. This was followed by telecommunications proficiency, with 37% of participants admitting to learning or improving on telecommunications skills. 35% of those surveyed said they used their time in lockdown to improve digital media and creative skills.
Other popular skillsets to learn during Covid-19 were data analysis or reporting (28%), and operating proficiency, also at 28%. Technical writing and literacy, coding and programming language, and hardware proficiency also ranked as skills picked up during lockdown.
Employer-Provided Education Opportunities During Covid-19
The report studied whether employers have been providing tech education opportunities during the health crisis. 54% of people said their employer has provided technology education opportunities. However, only 36% had used them. Just over a third of participants said they would like their employer to provide such tech ed opportunities.
The findings of BoxBoat’s research are important to small businesses, confirming just how highly people rank learning new tech skills. With the right tech skills, employees can play an even greater role in a business’s success. Offering tech training can improve staff morale, loyalty, and retention rates. For entrepreneurs starting a new venture, having the right technical skills and knowledge will help nurture business success.
