Skilling for the

Digital Economy:
A Role-Based Approach
Introduction
We are in the midst of a new Industrial Revolution.
Steam drove the First Industrial Revolution, electricity
drove the Second, and digital computing drove the
Third. According to the World Economic Forum,

“The technologies that define the Fourth Industrial The Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR) include artificial intelligence, machine Revolution can be described
learning, robotics, data science, Cloud computing, as the advent of “cyber-
and the Internet of Things. In turn, these technologies physical systems” involving
have powered other new technologies like genetic entirely new capabilities for
engineering, which has transformed agriculture and people and machines. While
medicine, and blockchain, which is transforming these capabilities are reliant
commerce”. on the technologies and
infrastructure of the Third
Compounding the pace of technological change are
other pressures, notably the COVID-19 pandemic, Industrial Revolution, the
that have changed how people interact, work, and do Fourth Industrial Revolution
business. These pressures have also accelerated the represents entirely new ways
pace of 4IR. in which technology becomes
embedded within societies
To survive, businesses have to transform their
operations to increase their use of digital technologies and even our human bodies.
and reduce their dependence on in-person interactions.
To thrive, businesses and organizations must rethink
their business models and operations, and rebuild them
to take full advantage of 4IR technologies. Clearly, the
organizations that will succeed and thrive are those who
have access to the talent they need to navigate this
transition well.

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A Role-Based Approach
to Digital Skilling
Simplilearn has trained over one million learners and has powered digital
transformation training programs for hundreds of businesses across more than
150 countries. That puts Simplilearn in a unique position to understand what helps
some enterprises thrive and what causes others to struggle to adapt to the 4th
Industrial Revolution’s fast-changing realities. Companies around the globe and across
industries are investing in intelligent systems and software to automate their business
processes and optimize their business models. However, one thing above all else has
differentiated successful attempts at digital transformation from failures - and this is
the availability of the right talent, trained in appropriate digital technologies and able
to apply them to business applications.

We Follow a Role-Based Approach to Digital Skilling.

This Means Three Things:

01 02 03
A company needs to Each of these roles Finally, there needs
identify the critical roles requires the right mix to be an integrated
in its organization to of skills to do justice to learning path for each
successfully deliver its the company’s digital of these roles, which
digital transformation transformation goals. delivers both the
goals across different required technology
areas of business. skills and the hands-on
experience in applying
them to business
use-cases.

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This role-based approach is in contrast to a skills-based approach taken by many
learning libraries, where the focus is more on a large collection of courses, each
imparting a specific skill. Developing the skills base of your organization’s talent might
seem to be a simple matter of ordering skills-training courses out of a catalog as the
need for each skill arises. However, this approach is reactive, and it leaves crucial skills
unfilled while your employees take the training courses.

To put together our comprehensive role-based skilling approach, ready to power

digital transformation for any enterprise, Simplilearn has followed a rigorous process:

Map industry trends

Identify critical roles

Map the skills needed for each of these roles

Create learning paths that deliver these skills as well as the ability to apply them

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Map Industry Trends
It is essential to understand the underlying trends in each industry. This understanding
helps to build a clear picture of the business model and business operation transitions
affecting that industry, and in turn, gain clarity on the roles and skills needed to drive
digital transformation in that industry.
We have looked at these four major industries closely, using our experience of working
with multiple large global enterprises in these domains.
Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail
Telecommunications
Technology and Consulting

Financial CPG & Telecom Technology &

Trends Retail Trends Trends Consulting
Trends

Tapping deeper Omnichannel AI and machine Powering digital

into data learning transformation
IoT, robots, and
initiatives
Personalization drones Cloud computing
for frictionless Enterprise
Hyperlocal Data mining
transactions software to SAAS
sourcing and better
AI and machine monetization Data & AI
Smart supply
learning applications
chains APIs and
Decisioning seamless Migration to
Sustainability
for customer integrations Cloud
experience
5G Cyber Security -
Credit marketing especially online
IoT
acceleration
Blockchain
Movement
IoT and edge
towards asset-
computing
light models of
business

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Identify Critical Roles
Using the deep insights that we have into how companies in these industries operate
and what the sectoral trends are, we have mapped the critical roles that drive these
companies.

These critical roles fall into four broad categories - Digital Business, Digital Operations,
Data & AI, and Technology. By collating the different organization structures across
companies and industries, we have simplified this mapping of critical roles to serve as
a framework for most organizations.

It is important to understand that each organization may name these roles slightly
differently. However, this set of roles comprehensively covers the talent needs of any
organization looking at digitally transforming their business.

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37 Key Roles Powering Enterprises Through
the 4th Industrial Revolution

DIGITAL DIGITAL DATA TECHNOLOGY

BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND AI
9 Roles 6 Roles 7 Roles 15 Roles

Business Strategy IT Services Data Engineering Cloud Infrastructure

• Business Analyst • IT Service Manager • Big Data Engineer • Cloud Administrator

• Business Architect • System Architect • Cloud Architect

Data Science
• Digital Transformation • Cloud Developer
Leader Operations • Data Analyst
• Cloud Engineer
• Business Consultant • Project Manager • Data Scientist

• Lean Six Sigma Exper Cyber Security

Product Management Artificial
• Cloud Security Professional
• Product Manager Agile Management Intelligence (CCSP)
(coming soon) • Agile and Scrum Manager • Deep Learning • Security Analyst
• UX Specialist Engineer
• Agile Project Owner • Cyber Security Expert
(coming soon) • Machine Learning
Engineer • Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Digital Marketing • NLP Engineer • Information Security
Manager (CISSP, CISM)
• Digital Marketing Associate • AI Architect
• Information Security
• Digital Marketing Specialist
Auditor (CISA)
• Digital Marketing Manager

DevOps
• DevOps Engineer

• Release Manager

Software Development
• Full Stack Web Developer

• Quality Engineer
(Automation Testing)

• Full Stack Developer

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Map the Skills Needed for Each of These Roles
Simplilearn has analyzed the skills each digital job role requires. Each role has a
specific complement of skills that are essential to success in that role.

The skill mapping done for each role is based on the skills that drive successful
outcomes across different organisations and gets continuously updated. As
technologies change and businesses innovate, Simplilearn refreshes the skill
mapping for these Roles to adapt to these shifts.

The figure below shows an example of mapping Data Science skills to Data
Science job Roles. Similar skills mapping is done for each of the key Roles in the
comprehensive set.

Mapping Data Science Skills to Data Science Roles

Data Analyst Data Scientist AI Engineer

Intro Intro
to Data to AI Deep
Business Analytics Learning
R Data w/Keras
Analytics
Program Science
with/
ming Big Data w/Python
Excel
Hadoop & Natural
Spark Language
Tableau Adv. Deep
Power Processing
Data Machine Learning /
Bi Training
Analytics Learning Machine
with/ Vision
Python

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Create Learning Paths Aligned to These Roles
Once Simplilearn identifies the skill set a given role requires, we assemble a learning
path for that role that teaches and validates the required skills and ensures hands-on
application experience through industry projects and capstone projects. With this
approach, we make digital up-skilling both outcome-oriented and easy to map to any
organization’s needs. The goal is to ensure that an organization has talent in all its key
roles that is well-rounded, with all the skills needed to deliver results.

The Data Scientist example illustrates the way we construct our learning paths.
Similarly, each of the other roles in the comprehensive set has a complete learning
path with the right mix of skills needed to deliver results in each role.

Example of Role-Aligned Learning Path

Python
for Data
Data Data Science
Science Science with
with R
Python

R Program- Machine
ming for Data Learning
Science

Tableau
Statistics
Desktop 10
Essential
Qualified
for Data
Associate
Science
Training

Data
Science Data
in Real Science
Life Capstone

DATA
SCIENTIST

3 168 40 25+ 1 8
Electives Hours Hours Live Masters Course
Course Instructor-led Self Paced Projects Certificates Certificates
Training Learning

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The learning path builds the learner’s skills in a specific sequence, from foundational
skills to skills for the role’s area of competence, to specialized skills specific to the
role. The foundational skills for a Data Scientist are the statistical tools used in data
analysis. Thus the initial courses in the Data Scientist learning path introduce the real-
life uses of data science, the statistical methods essential to data science work, and
skills in using the R programming language in data science work.

Intermediate skills that build on the foundation and prepare for specialized domain
skills include advanced R skills, Python programming skills, and skills in applying
Python to data science work. Acquiring these skills allows the learner to grasp and
succeed in specialized data science courses, such as machine learning and Tableau
data visualization, and to complete the learning path’s Capstone project.

The learning path may include skills from other areas of competence related to the
role. Simplilearn recognizes the merits of a workforce with T-shaped skill sets with
the necessary depth and expertise in the domain of specialization, plus selected skills
across all categories of Digital Business, Technology, Digital Operations, and Data and
Artificial Intelligence.

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The Unique Features and Benefits of
Simplilearn’s Role-Based Approach
Simplilearn’s goal is to deliver clear, measurable outcomes that result in
professionals’ ability to deliver in the roles they play. Our programs use Learning &
Development best practices proven to yield high engagement and success rates.

We use a highly interactive, Blended Learning methodology that includes :

Live Virtual Classroom: Actual live instruction, with actual live classroom
interaction.

Self-Paced Video Content: Video lessons learners can access anywhere,

anytime.

Hands-On Labs: Exercises based on real-world, industry-based problems

that require learners to apply their new knowledge and skills.

Our advanced learning paths feature Capstone projects to demonstrate all of the
learner’s new skills. The Capstone project draws on all of the skills in the learning
path and requires the learner to demonstrate competence in every one of them.

Simplilearn’s Programs are Designed in Partnership With

the Most Credible Institutions Across:

The best academic partners (Caltech, Purdue, MIT, and others)

Business leaders (IBM, Microsoft, AWS and others)

Industry bodies that define skill benchmarks (PMI, Axelos, IIBA, and others)

Learners who complete the courses in their learning paths receive certifications that
demonstrate industry-recognized proficiency at a work-ready level.

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Simplilearn’s Approach is Simple, Focused,
and Comprehensive

Our role-based learning paths provide a concise and simplified outline of the
skills that will make your task as an L&D manager easier. You don’t need to map
your organization’s job roles to skills and then assemble sets of courses to match:
Simplilearn has done that work for you.

Simplilearn has created a comprehensive set of well-defined, role-based learning

paths that empower the 37 digital economy critical roles with the skills each needs
for success. We update these learning paths continuously to ensure they support the
current state of technology.

Next Steps

When you engage with Simplilearn to provide digital skilling for your enterprise, we
start with two initial steps:

Simplilearn works with you to identify the digital economy critical roles in your
organization and take an inventory of the people in those roles. We help you
conduct a skills assessment to determine whether each person in your digital
economy operation needs training in skills for their current role or upskilling into
some other role that needs to be filled.

After taking a Roles and Skills Inventory, Simplilearn works with you to configure
an Enterprise Skilling Program to provide sufficient training to fulfill your
skilling needs in a way that fits your organization’s culture and operating style.
The Enterprise Skilling Program takes account of your team members’ current
skill levels and geographic locations, and your organization’s preferred way of
managing learning and development.

Given the pace of digital transformation, the best time to get started on digital skilling
for your organization is now. Contact Simplilearn to find out how.

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INDIA
Simplilearn Solutions Pvt Ltd.
# 53/1 C, Manoj Arcade, 24th Main,
Harlkunte
2nd Sector, HSR Layout
Bangalore - 560102
Call us at: +91 97760 18000

USA
Simplilearn Americas, Inc.
201 Spear Street, Suite 1100,
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States
Phone No: +1-844-532-7688

www.simplilearn.com