What the World Learned at Work: April 2021’s Hottest Skills
Every month, the Udemy for Business team analyzes and shares trends based on what employees are learning across our thousands of customers around the world. With access to billions of data points, we can provide a unique perspective on the most in-demand job skills (both soft skills and technical skills) modern employees need to thrive in today’s dynamic workforce and how organizations can tie learning to business outcomes.
Without further ado, here are skills that matter most to the global workforce in April 2021.
Top skills for April 2021
Certified Kubernetes Security
It’s been six years since Google released the first version of Kubernetes and accelerated cloud computing. But while the open-source application management technology-enabled IT and development teams of all shapes and sizes to develop and launch container-based applications at breakneck speed, its rise in popularity attracted cybercriminals looking to exploit vulnerabilities. Now, after a global pandemic expedited digital transformation and the adoption of Kubernetes, the need for ironclad security is paramount. So organizations are wise to invest in upskilling and certifying their tech teams.
Study skills
Email productivity continues to be the top “soft skill” for another month. But in April, one skill topic entered the top ten and climbed to the second-highest spot in the list — Study Skills. It makes sense if you think about it. We only retain 40% of what we see and hear in lectures. And as continuous learning becomes core to our lives, employees are smart to invest time and energy into learning about learning.
Top skills in select countries for April 2021
For the first time, we’re going a level deeper into what the world learned at work by examining the most popular skills by country.
As you can see, many of the top skills noted in the lists above appear frequently. There is, however, an interesting trend emerging in Germany, Australia, and France.
“Crypto” may seem like a buzzword that gets thrown around often without meaning. But while that may be true in some cases, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin have outlasted the initial skepticism. Most recently, the initial public offering of cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase gave investors and, more importantly, banks a reason to take digital currency seriously.
Skills required for the future of work and today
So there you have it — the most in-demand job skills for April 2021.
Did you know? 79% of CEOs are worried about employees’ lack of skills and 60% of employees worry their current skills will be outdated in three to five years. The pace of change is too quick for you to hire people with the right skills. Today, organizations are upskilling their workforce to reduce overhead costs, maintain business continuity, and drive revenue.
If that sounds promising yet overwhelming, don’t worry. Udemy for Business’ course library is carefully curated from our marketplace of 155,000 courses. That means your employees have access to the freshest, most in-demand content taught by qualified, deep subject matter experts. Find out why Unilever, Prudential, and thousands more organizations have partnered with us to prepare their workforce for the future. Speak to our workplace learning experts today.
