Data Science top skill acquired in 2022; 83% plan to upskill in 2023: Great Learning

Data Science was the top skill acquired by learners in 2022, followed by Software Engineering and Management, according to a report by Great Learning. Upskilling has been the biggest trend in global corporates amid the disruption caused by technology.

The intent to upskill among Indians has increased by 4 per cent from the previous year. In 2022, 79 per cent of professionals were planning to upskill, while in 2023, that number has risen to 83 per cent. The desire to upskill is slightly higher among men compared to women, with 83 per cent of male and 80 per cent of female professionals planning to upskill in 2023. The highest proportion of the workforce who plan to upskill in 2023 are from IT/Tech and BFSI sectors, followed by Education/Training, Manufacturing, and the Automobile industry. 

Upskilling helped 43 per cent of professionals gain career growth in their own organisations, while 23 per cent were able to switch to a different domain, and 18 per cent were able to secure a new job.

In 2022, more women with less than 8 years of experience invested time in upskilling; in general, more male professionals enrolled in upskilling programs in 2022, but the gap in representation becomes more pronounced at higher levels of work experience. 

  Data literacy has become such an integral part of the business, so it’s no surprise that the most in-demand domain for upskilling among professionals was Data Science last year. It was followed by Software Engineering and Management. AI & Machine Learning, as well as Cloud Computing programs, were popular among professionals with 8+ years of work experience. Data Science, Software Engineering and Management programs were pursued mostly by entry-level professionals with 0-5 years of work experience. Cybersecurity was pursued by professionals across all work experience levels. 

71 per cent of professionals in India are confident about keeping their jobs in 2023 despite the overall economic slowdown. Another interesting thing to note is the stark difference in the confidence levels of freshers and entry-level professionals and the ones with more than 6 years of experience. While 63 per cent of professionals with 0-3 years of experience are confident about retaining their job, this number jumps up to 83 per cent for professionals with 6+ years of experience.

A significant proportion of the investment is directed towards training fresh graduates to equip them with additional skills not covered by college curricula. Initiatives for mid- and senior-level executives focus on data-driven decision-making and technical training to help them keep pace with market trends. 82 per cent of the L&D budgets by enterprises is being spent on training freshers. 

ROI on the L&D initiatives are the key yardstick of success for enterprises, and today they are based on a reduction in time to make freshers billable, an increase in skill capability based on certified employees, greater internal mobility and improved retention, and a decrease in employees’ time spent on the bench.

The report is based on a profiling and survey of learners across India who pursued Great Learning's programs last year.

Talking about the report Hari Krishnan Nair, Co-Founder, Great Learning, said, “With a tighter job market in 2023, skill development will be as critical as ever. The increase in intent to upskill in 2023 among professionals is expected, given how rapidly technology and business practices are evolving. The Global Upskilling Outlook 2023 offers an overview of the skills gap and market trends at a high level to students and professionals looking to learn relevant new-age skills.”