Digital skills development - options and a framework for implementation

Abstract

The paper examines different approaches to digital skills development and proposes framework on how universities can develop digital skills in a undergraduate business curriculum. New technologies have led to an irreversible transformation in the global society and business. Digital transformation created new opportunities that span from across different industries, but business school graduates must gain digital skills proficiency. Digital skills are no longer required just for technical professionals, but have become essential for non-technical roles such as sales, CRM, marketing, finance and HR among others. Digital skills are not optional, but critical to the success of graduates. They are also not static – they are changing with changes in technology. While there is an agreement as to the importance of digital skills for future graduates, universities have struggled to integrate these in the existing curricula. This conceptual paper proposes a framework for integration and implementation of digital skills so that university faculty and administrators can make more appropriate and strategies choices when it comes to digital skills. In addition to outlining the options, the paper proposes a roadmap for universities which includes the following steps: determination of what digital skills need to be taught and how they should be taught, creation of enabling conditions and the evaluation of the efforts.