The Potential for Technology in Education - Preparing for the workspace

If you look over job descriptions on any job board website, one request you will see time and time again is for familiarity with specific platforms. In my own job search I conducted recently I was inundated with job requirements which called for familiarity, if not expertise, with a range of platforms such as; Excel, Word, Salesforce, Powerpoint etc. A recent study found that 82% of jobs required Excel skills and/or experience with productivity software.

Besides getting a job, knowing core competencies of digital tools such as Excel can greatly increase your productivity in the workspace. Improving your productivity in this way is directly linked to access to greater salaries and promotions for workers. One study found that employees who had been certified with skills in Excel had 12% higher earnings than their counterparts.

This evidence all points to an undeniable truth, knowledge of computer skills and programs is directly associated with a financial benefit to yourself. By giving access to technology to children in schools, we are directly raising their future salaries, job prospects, and as a result, their quality of life. A failure to do so on the other hand, means directly harming their prospects as an employee.

References

Mapue, Joseph, https://www.goskills.com/Excel/Resources/Jobs-require-Excel