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Digital transformation professionals who want to accelerate their career should consider investing in industry-leading training programs.
While on-the-job training can certainly be valuable, some knowledge and skills can only be gained by learning directly from industry experts.
Those interested in becoming Salesforce professionals, for instance, can only learn so much from workplace training programs. To gain industry-leading knowledge, it is necessary to learn from industry-leading experts.
The same holds true for digital transformation – professionals who want to become experts must learn from industry leaders.
Below, we’ll look at a few of the best places to receive industry-leading training in digital transformation.
Industry-Leading Training in Digital Transformation: A Guide
First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge the breadth and depth of digital transformation as a business area.
Though there is a general consensus over what digital transformation means, there are disagreements over nuances.
Generally speaking, digital transformation refers to the use of digital technology to improve and transform a business, its strategy, its operations, its value, and so forth.
Given this broad definition, it should come as no surprise that digital transformation requires a broad range of skills and, as a result, training.
Here are a few of types of training can be most valuable for those interested in bolstering their digital transformation skill set.
Digital Transformation
Training in digital transformation is naturally the first area to investigate.
A few agencies and educational institutions offer digital transformation training, though not all companies offer the same training content, nor the same quality of information. Before investing in a program, therefore, it is worth doing due diligence to learn about the education provider and whether their training aligns with one’s own goals.
That being said, here are a few places to look for training that focuses on digital transformation:
- Berkeley ExecEd offers a two-month online program aimed at mid- to senior-level managers, which helps leaders identify opportunities, pinpoint problems, determine digital solutions, and manage organizational transformations
- MIT offers a digital transformation course that takes a different approach, focusing on five key technology platforms that are driving change, such as blockchain and cloud computing
- The University of Cambridge offers a course aimed specifically at helping business executives create digital disruption strategies
Business schools at academic institutions are certainly one of the best places to go for education and industry-leading training in digital transformation.
However, it is also useful to learn from digital leaders and pioneers, not just academic sources – and it is also a good idea to look beyond training that focuses on digital transformation. After all, as this list demonstrates, the course content can vary considerably within these programs.
Digital Adoption
Digital transformation hinges upon the adoption of new digital technology and the use of that technology to its fullest extent.
Effective digital adoption focuses on processes such as user onboarding, user training, and software productivity, all of which significantly affect the outcomes of digital transformation efforts.
WalkMe’s Digital Adoption Institute is an excellent resource for digital adoption training and certification.
As of this writing, their coursework covers three core areas:
- How to build and implement digital adoption solutions
- How to manage digital adoption projects
- How to lead and scale adoption initiatives
Each course is designed for different roles, so professionals at any level can gain access to relevant training material.
Change Management
Change management is one of the most important business disciplines in the modern workplace, since organizational change has become so prevalent in today’s business world.
In large part, this continuous change is due to digital disruption, innovation, and transformation. Unsurprisingly, therefore, a great many business transformation efforts focus on digital change.
Though digital technology is the main focus of many digital transformation training programs – and though technology is the driver of change – humans still lie at the heart of any business change program.
Change management, which focuses on the human side of change, is therefore a very useful area to study.
Here are a few training programs to consider:
- Prosci’s change management certification trains students on its proprietary change management models, such as the ADKAR framework, and helps them learn how to implement change at both the individual and the organizational level
- The Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) offers training and certification in its own change management methodology, though it should be noted that their training is geared specifically towards experienced change managers
- A great many academic institutions also offer change management certifications and training, such as Northwestern and Cornell
These types of training programs are suitable for managers who prefer to work with people or manage projects, rather than those who deal with the logistics of technology.
Final Thoughts
Digital transformation is a broad topic, as mentioned above, and there are quite a few other types of training that can benefit a digital transformation professional.
Though training material specific to digital transformation can be useful, this business field is so diverse that it is a good idea to “customize” a training pathway to suit one’s own needs.
Besides those subjects covered here, it is useful to consider training such as:
- Training in a specific technology that aligns with one’s interests, specialty, or career direction
- Leadership and management training
- Training in project management
In short, the field of digital transformation is so versatile and the job opportunities so diverse that there are quite a few opportunities to create training courses that are personalized, interesting, and profitable.
