Home topics workplace education-and-training Source: Cowomen on Unsplash Education | Training Education | Training Closing the data divide: Training imperative to future-ready workforce Robert Wickham August 4, 2022 In this dynamic digital economy, the more data-savvy your workforce is, the stronger your business outcomes will be. But, in Australia, data literacy remains the weakest link in the data value chain. Organisations are generating vast amounts of data but are missing the mark when it comes to equipping employees with the skills they need to harness data-driven insights in their roles. That’s why data literacy skills have become key areas of focus for business leaders looking for a competitive advantage in every facet of their organisation — from operations to sales to recruiting and retention. A recent survey conducted by Forrester Consulting and commissioned by Tableau found that 71 per cent of Australian business decision makers agree that every employee across all departments should have at least basic data skills. Yet only 33 per cent of the workers surveyed said their organisation offered them data training — representing a significant divide in expectation and execution, with Aussie employees emerging as the most dissatisfied when compared to countries like Singapore and Japan. In Australia, the impact of a competitive job market and talent shortage is widely felt. Recent ABS data revealed there are almost half a million job vacancies in Australia as of May 2022, more than double the vacancies from February this year. According to the survey, investment in skills training