New research shows digital natives are digitally illiterate
Referred to as ‘generation connected’ or ‘dot com kids’, Generation-Z are known for having technology engrained into their lives1. This comes as Gen-Z are the first fully global generation in history to be connected through digital devices and social media.
Growing up with an i-anything not far from reach, reports show that one-in-three (33%) Australian children aged six to 13 owned the mobile phone they use2. A statistic that has remained unchanged in the last few years.
Yet alarming new research from Koenig Solutions reveals that less than one in five (17%) of Gen-Z (18-24) feel more confident using office-based software than social media, the lowest of all the age brackets.
What’s more, by 2025 the social-network superstars will make up over a quarter (27%) of the workforce1. However, there are concerns over the digital natives essentially being digitally illiterate.
HR and IT training specialist, Chris Tzalabiras has noticed the recent shift in the market but doesn’t believe that jobseekers should give up on self-improvement as a result.
“The current job market is unlike anything I’ve seen before. With the recent switch to a very candidate focused market, jobseekers now have complete control, with some having at least five offers on the table. Despite there being a smorgasbord of selection, the grunt work comes with slotting into a new workspace seamlessly.
“We’re seeing young jobseekers come through with a base-line knowledge of office-based software, having simply added it to their resume with the skills they picked up in high school. I can’t stress enough how vital a Microsoft basics course is,” says Duignan.
Leading IT-training organisation Koenig Solutions offers online training courses, earning jobseekers’ certifications that Tzalabiras believes should be the bare minimum for appropriate roles.
“Microsoft certification courses are the backbone of any organisation. Without these products, individuals and enterprise teams can hardly perform their day-to-day activities. Learning on the job is not always the best approach when starting a new career. Obtaining qualifications and certifications ahead of said new path will mean recent recruits are not playing catchup,” says Tzalabiras.
As the end of the school year approaches, Koenig Solutions is teaming up with My Byte to offer successful students of selected Apple based certification courses, the opportunity to pursue a career as an Apple authorised service technician and employment within the service provider.
Prospectus students can enrol for IT courses online at www.koenig-solutions.com. Tzalabiras feels this will help raise the current sub-par statistics, “Our hope for this course is that it will elevate Gen-Z’s confidence in their digital skills. An essential requirement if they are to pave the way into the future of Australia’s workforce.”
