Study says data literacy will be a high skill by 2030

About 85% of CEOs believe that data literacy – the ability to read, work with, analyze, and communicate information – will be the most in-demand skill by 2030. This is one of the conclusions of a recent study by data analytics company Qlik.

Additionally, 21% of employees surveyed believe their company is seeking a more automated and information-oriented work environment. However, only 11% of them feel completely comfortable with their level of data knowledge.

Other important conclusions of the study:

• 58% of employees surveyed believe that data literacy will help them maintain data relevant to their AI roles.
• 85% of CEOs believe that data literacy will become as vital in the future as being able to use a computer today;
• 89% of executives expect all team members to be able to explain how data affects their decisions;
• 35% of employees reported that they changed jobs in the past 12 months because their employer did not provide adequate educational and training opportunities.

the report Data literacy: the evolution of skill development (Data Literacy: The Evolution of Skilling) Developed by Qlick in partnership with Future Labs. The study combines interviews and surveys with more than 1,200 global CEOs C-level and 6000 employees from companies in the UK, US, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2021.

AI remains important

Leaders who participated in the study believed that employees’ work would become more collaborative with smart tools, helping them make better decisions (84%) and be more productive (83%).

Additionally, 40% of CEOs expect their company to hire an automation leader in the next three years, and the percentage rises to more than 99% in the next decade. 58% of employees surveyed believe that knowledge of data will help them stay relevant in their roles with the increasing use of artificial intelligence.

We often hear people talk about employees needing to understand how AI will change the way they perform their roles. However, the most important thing is to help them develop skills that allow them to add value to the outcome of these intelligent algorithms,” says Elif Totok, Vice President of Innovation and Design at Clic.