New Delhi: India is experiencing a surge in new learners, potentially impacting its skill rankings compared to previous years. Although enrollments in Professional Certificates have remained stable, there has been an 8% uptick in specialisation enrollments, indicating a broad interest in diverse content. Despite encountering sociocultural barriers and access issues, India is making considerable progress in narrowing skill gaps and fostering a competitive workforce.
The sixth annual Global Skills Report highlights AI literacy as an increasingly vital global priority. The report captures several significant trends driven by GenAI, digital transformation and automation. As per the report, the debut of ChatGPT in 2022 triggered a global push towards AI literacy. Enrollment in GenAI courses skyrocketed by 1,060% worldwide over the past year, driven by learners seeking fundamental AI skills. Courses like "Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT" from Vanderbilt University and "Introduction to Generative AI" offered by Google Cloud saw significant interest and participation.
The global skill rankings are divided into four categories based on countries' positions:
1 In the "Cutting-edge" category (rankings 1–28), you'll find nations mainly from Europe, parts of the Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
2 The "Competitive" category (rankings 29–55) includes primarily European countries, along with nations from Latin America and parts of the Asia Pacific. This category also features countries like Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
3 Moving to the "Emerging" category (rankings 56–82), it encompasses countries from North America, parts of Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa.
4 Lastly, the "Lagging" category (rankings 83–109) consists primarily of countries from the Asia Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the report, India is ranked 87th, placing it in the lagging category in terms of skills. The country's significant 1,648% increase in enrollments for GenAI courses reflects a strong interest in cutting-edge technology. This trend correlates with the government's substantial $1.2 billion investment in AI. Learners are focusing on mastering programming languages and Applied Machine Learning, aiming to qualify for technical roles like Web Developer, Software Developer and Machine Learning Engineer.
Challenge of the Digital Skills Gap
The report underscores that more than 9 out of 10 jobs now require at least some level of digital proficiency. In Europe, 70% of businesses consider the shortage of digital skills a major hurdle to investment while 40% of adults lack even basic digital skills. This challenge isn't confined to Europe alone. The study reveals that learners across many regions are prioritising human skills over the highly sought-after digital skills needed in today's workforce.
Critical Cybersecurity Skills Amid Talent Shortages
According to the report, cybersecurity is crucial for ensuring robust digital infrastructure, especially in light of challenges posed by emerging technologies like GenAI. However, there's a noticeable trend where growth in cybersecurity education is slower compared to fields like cloud computing and data science.
Globally, there's a growing gap between the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals and the available workforce, which increased by 12.6% year-over-year.
In Europe, despite frequent cyber threats, there was a 5% decline in cybersecurity course enrollments from the previous year. On the other hand, the Middle East and North Africa saw a 17% increase in cybersecurity enrollments, possibly driven by governmental initiatives such as the establishment of the Council of Ministers for Cybersecurity.
In the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, which boasts 49.2 million learners representing 3.9% of the working population, digital literacy is taking the lead. A significant 1,270% year-over-year rise in GenAI course enrollments demonstrates the region's dedication to technological proficiency. Countries such as India highlight a youthful, mobile-first learning demographic, with an increasing number of women actively pursuing technical upskilling.
In the global skill ranking, Switzerland holds the top position, with Japan and Germany following closely in second and third places. China ranks 36th, while Sri Lanka is at 86th, Pakistan at 84th, Bangladesh at 94th, and Nepal holds the second last position at 108th place.
The Global Skills Report provides a thorough analysis of skill and credential trends globally, regionally, and nationally, leveraging insights gathered from a vast community of over 148 million learners. This comprehensive report utilizes data and perspectives derived from Coursera's global learning network, which includes 7,000 institutional customers and partnerships with 325 prominent universities and industry leaders worldwide.
Focusing on business, technology, and data science, the report examines trends based on Coursera's registered learner base of 49.2 million individuals across 23 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
India's Top Skills
1. HTML and CSS
2. Applied Machine Learning
3. Python Programming
4. Regression
5. Machine Learning Algorithms
6. BlockChain
7. Distributed Computing
8. Architecture
9. Programming Principles
10. Algorithms
11. Software Architecture
India's Top target roles
1. Web Developer
2. Network Engineer
3. Cloud Security Engineer
4. Software Developer
5. Machine Learning Engineer
6. Securities & Commodities Trader
7. Data Engineer
8. Database Administrator
9. Marketing Associate
10. Data Analyst
State Skill Ranking: India
1. Punjab
2. Chandigarh
3. West Bengal
4. Haryana
5. Himachal Pradesh
6. Jharkhand
7. Assam
8. Maharashtra
9. Karnataka
10 Tamil Nadu
11 National Capital Territory of Delhi
12 Gujarat
13 Uttar Pradesh
14 Andhra Pradesh
15 Rajasthan
16 Bihar
17 Chhattisgarh
18 Kerala
19 Odisha
20 Madhya Pradesh
