Digital Disruption: New Required Skillsets Open Doors for Innovation

Christopher Caine, President, CGE And Kristen Palmisano, Director Public and Media Relations, CGE

Christopher Caine, President, CGE

There is no denying that companies and individuals alike are no longer looking to traditional business models and education systems to stand out among the herd and compete with the ever-accelerating pace of technological change. New skillsets required for global, enterprise workforces often cannot be found at traditional universities and leaders are looking outside the box to procure talent.

Programs, organizations, and institutes are popping up all over to address this shift. The Center for Global Enterprise (CGE), a nonprofit founded by Sam Palmisano, and former CEO of IBM, is an example of an organization devoted to the advancement of global business learning through nontraditional educational approaches. Addressing the skill gaps companies face, especially management skills needed for new business models such as platform companies and digital supply chains, is at the forefront of its mission.

“CGE offers several educational programs that give individuals the opportunity to work on issues that real companies face in the global marketplace”  

What skills are companies looking for today? What kind of background and experience do they require? How can a company work in the present and look to innovate for the future? These are the questions the Center hears the most and the driving force behind the organization.

Kristen Palmisano, Director Public and Media Relations, CGE

CGE offers several educational programs– including its premier 6-week digital internships known as Alpha Teams - that give individuals the opportunity to work on issues that real companies face in the global marketplace. Other organizations, such as Udacity, offer nanodegrees, or micro-credentials that build a needed workplace skillset. These types of programs recognize that education should be applied and collaborative –learning by doing instead of passively listening in the classroom.

Some innovative companies with the resources to execute talent overhauls internally offer training programs to retain their employees. A recent and widely covered example, being AT&T. Instead of laying-off workers with increasingly outdated skillsets, the globally integrated communications company created a training program within its walls for those interested in learning new skillsets required to seizing future opportunities.

Company leaders and individuals are taking innovative approaches to stay competitive, keep their jobs, and retain their workforces. Leading-edge HR departments will recognize this transformation and hire based on credentials and skillsets that will help their businesses compete. The acceleration of technology is disruptive, but the disruption opens new doors and the opportunity to make companies more competitive and efficient in its wake.