In the third of a five-part series on the digital skills shortage in the marcomms industry, The Communications Council chief executive Margaret Zabel has claimed a flat economy has led to training cutbacks at a time when staff development is more important than ever.
Her comments have followed a Digital Chameleon study which indicated low digital skill levels in the Australian marcomms industry, where only 28% of respondents said they had the digital skills necessary to complete their job.
The study has led to reactions from several of Australia's peak industry bodies.
Zabel argued that the digital skills shortage was a significant problem in the Australian industry, but said wider economic declines have made it difficult for companies to invest in training.
“The whole problem has been compounded by economic problems. There is a major need to invest in training in this changing market, but it is hard to invest in this market, so instead there have been cutbacks in training in many instances.
“The reluctance to invest in new channels which require experimentation and this conservastism have created a problem when it comes to staff development.”
Zabel pointed out that The Communications Council holds a number of digital training courses for a range of different skill levels, but said the take-up has not been as high as expected.
“We thought we would get a greater take-up but we're not seeing it. People are saying they are challenged from a budget point of view.
“It is a mistake to think we can learn everything from personal experiences. We need to look at case studies and talk to experts. The solution? The industry needs to invest more in training and education.”
In earlier segments of the 'Digital Skills Crisis' series, the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) chief executive Jodie Sangster suggested local universities have not been properly preparing graduates for digital positions, while Interactive Advertising Bureau Australia chief Paul Fisher argued the problem has been most apparent on the client side.
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