PwC wants to close the digital skills gap with latest tool

PwC is preparing to debut a new product that will help employers provide upskilling and reskilling tools to their workforce.

ProEdge is a training program and digital tool that helps employers understand the current capabilities of their employees and then pinpoints the digital skills they’ll need to improve based on labor data and industry trends. The program will also help employers identify skills gaps and design a plan to close them.

“HR pros are dealing with an aged workforce, they’re dealing with a skillset that has been the same for 20 to 30 years,” says Suneet Dua, chief product officer at PwC. “There are new skills coming into the workforce in the next two or three years, but CEOs and leaders in corporate America are worried about this post-pandemic, because they don't know where to start.”

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A tool like ProEdge provides leaders with resources to help reskill and upskill their workforces so that as technology advances, workers will be able to keep pace and remain in demand at work. The PwC program also offers personalized learning paths based on the company’s business strategy. Employees will have access to courses that can earn them credentials so they can advance their careers with the role-specific digital skills that will also benefit the employer. Employers will also be able to activate learning plans that meet diverse needs by department or individual and monitor everyone’s progress in real time. These insights can help to better inform company decisions around workforce initiatives.

“We are providing upskilling and reskilling through the functional job level,” Dua says. “We haven’t seen that training exist at the job level [before.] If you were a controller and wanted to become a digital controller, you can come to us and we'll get you there.”

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Upskilling, reskilling and providing greater resources to employees has been top of mind for many employers. Indeed, LinkedIn is offering 15 of their LinkedIn Learning classes for free. These classes will focus on hard technical skills like software development, project management and sales — jobs that are currently in high demand, according to research by LinkedIn and Microsoft.

Employees are expecting more from their employers than just a salary and traditional benefits. As the workplace continues to evolve, employers who take a more active and holistic approach in their employees’ lives will cultivate a more loyal and productive workforce.

“It's just the fiduciary responsibility of any CEO. They have to take care of their people,” Dua says. “Employers have to reskill their workforce and turn adult learners into infinite learners [so they can] learn all of these new tools and techniques.”