"Every time technology is developed it pushes up the workforce's skill requirements. It becomes a race between digital skills and technology:  The faster it advances, the quicker we have to update our skill requirements. It becomes a race between digital skills and technology:  The faster it advances, the quicker we have to update our skills. The bar is being raised all the time," says Ying Zhou, Director of the future of work research center at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              "Digital literacy is a broad concept:  You can work with digital devices from simple ways to highly complex tasks."  It can vary from printing out an invoice in a shop, to using word processors and spreadsheets, to advanced use like web design, data analysis, computer programming and coding."  Job market demands for digital literacy has grown consistently since the 80s. Roles requiring digital skills have continued to rise. Technology is no longer sector - specific. Roles requiring digital skills have continued to rise.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            "Digital literacy - and employer's demand for digital skills - has evolved as the economy and labor market has become more digitized," says Danny Stacy, UK head of talent intelligence at hiring platform 'Indeed' , based in London. "What used to be seen as a bonus is now a critical component of virtually every role."  This demand for digital literacy has spiked as employers addapt hybrid or remote-working paterns. There are greater requirements to have proficiency in office and product management tools, specific software so employees work more effectively."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Yet the growing importance of digital literacy doesn't mean workers have to master all the software out there to get a job. Instead, they have to be digitally confident:  keen to try new technologies:  embrace how the right tools can streamline routine tasks and  improve workplace collaboration:  while also having the flexibility and adaptability to learn new processes. "Hybrid and remote working were only relevant to 5% of the workforce before the pandemic," says Zhou. "It's nearly half of all workers now. Regardless of what work you did previously an employer now expects you to learn whatever digital skills are required in a role." And even if workers feel they're not quite where they want to be, there are ways to improve these important skills.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        "In the face of worker shortages, employers are showing greater willingness than before to train and upskill candidates rather than seek the finished product," says Stacy. This 'upskilling' could take the form of on - the - job training or online learning and development courses. "Informal learning and knowledge sharing among colleagues is one of the most proven ways of acquiring new skills. Using social media can help them acclimate to the more informal forms of communication they may encounter through workplace collaboration tools.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Zohou says although most employees in the labor market may not corrently need highly complex computer skills, digital literacy is a baseless requirement that is always rising. This means workers who keep up their technological expertise continue to evolve in an ever-shifting labor market that increasingly values digital skills. "Digital skills ultimately offer greater bargaining power in the job market," says Zhou. "The work environment has changed in favor of having greater digital literacy."