Among these targets, those directly related to human resources include the proportion of digital economy labour in the workforce reaching more than 2%, and the percentage of the working-age population receiving basic digital skills training reaching over 70%. Along with these, the requirements for cybersecurity demand that the city have a substantial and suitable workforce. Therefore, building a workforce to support digital transformation is a major challenge for the city.
In recent years, the city and its districts have organised many training courses, workshops, and sessions to improve skills, but the results have not yet met the actual demand. The human resources for digital transformation are still severely lacking at all levels, from local bases to districts, departments, and sectors. To date, many districts, departments, and sectors have only one to three personnel responsible for digital transformation and information technology. Moreover, many businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, still face significant difficulties implementing digital transformation, due to a lack of experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled personnel.
According to some experts, most of the training courses, workshops, and sessions on digital transformation in the city have been neither comprehensive nor general, nor are they specific and suitable for the participants. As a result, the majority of officials, public servants, and employees have not fully understood or grasped the requirements of digital transformation in their work.
As for the business community, although they recognise that digital transformation is an inevitable trend in a rapidly developing digital economy and that successful digital transformation can help businesses increase labour productivity, expand market share, boost revenue, and enhance competitiveness, it is not easy to achieve.
The most challenging issue is the financial resources needed to invest in infrastructure (machinery, equipment, technology, etc.). Equally challenging is the workforce needed to operate the digital ecosystem that businesses have or will establish. According to a recent survey, only about 30% of the workforce meets the actual job requirements of businesses.
Most of the workforce is weak in terms of knowledge and skills to master the key technologies of digital transformation (artificial intelligence, data science, automation, and blockchain-technology chains). The primary reason is that training has not been truly systematic or in-depth.
With this reality, to achieve the set goals, the city needs to further intensify the implementation of training courses, workshops, and sessions to update knowledge, skills, and experience in digital transformation, especially for officials, public servants, and employees in government agencies at all levels, departments, and sectors.
Particular attention should be given to training and improving skills in digital technology applications, data analysis, and data exploitation for decision-making, as well as focusing more on personnel involved in cybersecurity. The officials, public servants, and employees must have a mindset of innovation, progress, creativity, flexibility, continuous learning and self-improvement.
Authorities at all levels and relevant agencies need to strengthen the training and guidance on digital skills for the public so that people know how to use online public services, digital platforms, and online payments, and protect themselves in cyberspace by effectively leveraging community digital transformation teams.
In the long term, the city must integrate digital skills and artificial intelligence into education at training institutions, starting from secondary school levels. Universities, colleges, technical schools, and vocational training centres should enhance the quality of training in technical and technological fields, and innovation, and link more closely with actual needs.
The city should expand international cooperation in training the digital transformation workforce and increase the attraction of experts, scientists, and talented individuals, to serve in socio-economic development programmes, plans, and projects and to participate in workforce training.
