Digital skills are in high demand. Today, according to a Burning Glass report, eight in 10 middle-skill level jobs require digital skills, such as online communication and productivity tools. Adult workers often do not have this training, and increasingly employers report difficulty finding qualified workers with digital middle skills. Unfortunately, this gap between digital skill level and skill need is expected to continue increasing over the next 10 years.
Various efforts are underway to address this digital skills gap, including bootcamps and other computer-science efforts. Most, however, are aimed at more advanced skills, not the middle skills that make up a sizable part of the current digital skills gap. In addition, the majority of the courses offered in these programs are long-form (lasting several months), in-class, and often cost-prohibitive.
Digital Promise worked with Facebook to create a set of micro-credentials (a form of digital badges) focused on helping adults in the workforce learn these “middle” skills in the area of digital marketing. The first set of workshops – Social Media Marketing from Facebook will roll out today with local partner Grand Circus, a Michigan coding and IT bootcamp provider.
Digital Promise will train organizations across the state to deliver the workshops to their local communities starting in November. Those organizations include SouthWest Solutions, BUILD Institute, SistersCode and ACCESS.
Facebook has pledged to train 3,000 Michiganders in digital skills focused on social media over the next two years through these workshops.
In the Social Media Marketing from Facebook workshop, students will learn the basics of social media marketing using Facebook and Instagram and have the opportunity to earn four micro-credentials that demonstrate the skills they have learned:
- Social Media Marketing Basics
- Marketing with Facebook Pages
- Marketing with Facebook Ads
- Marketing with Instagram
Over four weeks, students will develop a Facebook page and Instagram account for a local community organization or business of their choice; use that page to create awareness, drive traffic, and/or attract customers; and create advertising campaigns in support of that page.
Closing the digital skills gap will create job opportunities and a new pool of qualified applicants for employers nationwide. In addition to the launch happening today in Detroit, we’ll also announce that the workshops will be available in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday. This is big step forward and an exciting opportunity and we look forward to working with our esteemed partners to close the digital skills gap.
