Register for your free TechRepublic membership or if you are already a member, sign in using your preferred method below.
We recently updated our Terms and Conditions for TechRepublic Premium. By clicking continue, you agree to these updated terms.
Invalid email/username and password combination supplied.
An email has been sent to you with instructions on how to reset your password.
By registering, you agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices outlined in the Privacy Policy.
You will also receive a complimentary subscription to TechRepublic’s News and Special Offers newsletter and the Top Story of the Day newsletter. You may unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time.
All fields are required. Username must be unique. Password must be a minimum of 6 characters and have any 3 of the 4 items: a number (0 through 9), a special character (such as !, $, #, %), an uppercase character (A through Z) or a lowercase (a through z) character (no spaces).
US shows decline in tech and data science skills proficiency
Your email has been sent
Globally, women learners lag in STEM enrollment, according to a new Coursera report.
U.S. proficiency in technology and data science skills are declining and lag behind countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, according to Coursera’s latest Global Skills Report. However, U.S. learners showed higher proficiency in essential business skills including marketing, leadership and management, and strategy and operations.
By now, it’s well-known that the acceleration of automation and digital transformation, coupled with inflation and global instability, are driving increased demand for digital and human skills needed to thrive in the new economy.
But while not every worker needs to learn to code, every worker needs to be literate in digital skills. Yet, the Coursera report found that three-quarters of workers felt unprepared for jobs in the digital-first economy.
SEE: Hiring kit: Data scientist (TechRepublic Premium)
Also notable is that globally, internet access is not equal. Countries in the lowest 25% of learner performance had average internet access rates of 54%, while those in the highest 25% had access rates of almost 84%.
There is a strong correlation between skills proficiency, GDP and broadband access. Wealthier countries scored higher in overall skills proficiency, matched by those with high levels of internet access.
The survey also found a rise in women learners: 47% now compared to 45% in 2021 and 38% two years ago. Throughout the world, however, women learners lag in STEM enrollment. In the U.S., despite a rise in STEM enrollments from 35% in 2019 to 42% in 2022, women still trail men.
Entry-level or “gateway” certificate course enrollments among women reached 40% in 2021, up significantly from 25% in 2019, according to the report. Certificates such as Google IT Support and Google Data Analytics provide a clear pathway to gain skills needed for high-demand, entry-level digital jobs. These courses require approximately 240 total learning hours, which can be completed in just six months at 10 hours per week.
The U.S. held steady in its overall skills proficiency ranking — yet it lost meaningful ground in core technology and data science skills. In last year’s report, learners in the U.S. ranked 29th in the world: A position that they maintain this year. However, while proficiency in business skills rose, learners in the U.S. fell behind other high-income countries in a number of key technology and data science skills, including software engineering, cloud computing and mathematics.
U.S. learners in the Northeast, upper Midwest and along the Pacific had the highest skills proficiency in business, while those in the South lagged behind. Three midwestern states – Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana – ranked highest in business proficiency throughout the U.S.
Idaho showed the highest levels of technology skills in the country, outpacing tech hubs like California and Massachusetts. Learners in the state also earned a perfect 100% proficiency for mobile development skills. This reflects a growth trend driven by the number of high-tech companies in the state increasing 61% in the last decade.
Learners in the U.S. increased focus on human skills amid rapid workforce changes. Workforce disruption caused by the pandemic and the pace of automation is forcing businesses to quickly adapt. Human skills like resilience, project management, decision making, planning, storytelling and experiments were increasingly popular among U.S. business learners, as organizations worked to navigate change.
The U.S. remains behind the curve in math skills. Proficiency in mathematics among U.S. learners dropped sharply from 56% in 2021 to 40% in 2022. This lags countries throughout Europe including Germany at 81% and the UK at 78% proficiency. Maine, Washington and New Hampshire had the highest levels of math proficiency in the U.S., while Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee finished in the bottom three.
The Coursera report also found that more learners in developed countries are acquiring human skills including change management and resilience. Learners in developing countries were more focused on digital skills through courses like supply chain systems and mobile architecture.
SEE: The COVID-19 gender gap: Why women are leaving their jobs and how to get them back to work (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
The most popular business and technology skills globally in the last year were leadership and management, probability and statistics, and theoretical computer science. For the second year in a row, Switzerland had the highest-skilled learners followed by Denmark, Indonesia and Belgium.
“The Great Resignation and automation are mandating stronger investments in human capital, as institutions must prioritize developing the high-demand digital and human skills required to build a competitive and equitable workforce,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO, in a statement. “Our data shows these skills are not equally distributed, and students and low-wage workers need access to flexible, affordable and fast-tracked pathways to entry-level digital jobs that offer a foundation for a stronger and more inclusive economy.”
The Global Skills Report includes data from 100 million learners in more than 100 countries who have used Coursera to develop a new skill during the past year, the company said. The report benchmarks three of the most in-demand skill areas driving employment in the digital economy: Business, technology and data science.
Discover the secrets to IT leadership success with these tips on project management, budgets, and dealing with day-to-day challenges.
US shows decline in tech and data science skills proficiency
Your email has been sent
Your message has been sent
TechRepublic Premium content helps you solve your toughest IT issues and jump-start your career or next project.
TechRepublic contributing writers ranked the best tech in multiple categories, including VPNs, password managers, and headsets, as well as AI/ML companies.
Meta’s new front-end and back-end development courses prepare entry-level professionals for development careers in less than eight months.
With so many project management software options to choose from, it can seem daunting to find the right one for your projects or company. We’ve narrowed them down to these nine.
Learn about the new features available with iOS 16, and how to download and install the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
IDEs are essential tools for software development. Here is a list of the top IDEs for programming in 2022.
IIoT software assists manufacturers and other industrial operations with configuring, managing and monitoring connected devices. A good IoT solution requires capabilities ranging from designing and delivering connected products to collecting and analyzing system data once in the field. Each IIoT use case has its own diverse set of requirements, but there are key capabilities and …
Recruiting an Operations Research Analyst with the right combination of technical expertise and experience will require a comprehensive screening process. This Hiring Kit provides an adjustable framework your business can use to find, recruit and ultimately hire the right person for the job.This hiring kit from TechRepublic Premium includes a job description, sample interview questions …
The digital transformation required by implementing the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a radical change from business as usual. This quick glossary of 30 terms and concepts relating to IIoT will help you get a handle on what IIoT is and what it can do for your business.. From the glossary’s introduction: While the …
Procuring software packages for an organization is a complicated process that involves more than just technological knowledge. There are financial and support aspects to consider, proof of concepts to evaluate and vendor negotiations to handle. Navigating through the details of an RFP alone can be challenging, so use TechRepublic Premium’s Software Procurement Policy to establish …
