New Delhi, March 31 (NationPress) According to a recent report, AI, Cybersecurity, and digital and data skills have been identified as the most essential capabilities for India over the next three to five years, impacting students, employees, recruiters, CXOs, and academic institutions.

The report, produced by NIIT Limited in collaboration with YouGov, indicates that mid-career professionals with 6 to 15 years of experience represent the most constrained talent pool, as noted by 38% of recruiters. Despite this, 46% of employers are actively seeking candidates from this segment.

Interestingly, early-career professionals displayed greater confidence in their knowledge of cybersecurity fundamentals (64% vs. 57%), cloud tools (66% vs. 56%), and data analysis (67% vs. 56%) compared to students, while senior management exhibited the highest overall confidence levels.

As organizations ramp up technology-driven transformations, recruiters and CXOs continue to emphasize the importance of technical and domain-specific skills, alongside project management and organizational capabilities.

The report also revealed that an impressive 86% of recruiters and CXOs feel optimistic about accessing skilled talent in the next 3 to 5 years, citing internal reskilling and upskilling initiatives (26%) and partnerships between industry and academia (24%) as significant factors bolstering this confidence.

Approximately 69% of organizations have increased their learning and development budgets within the past year due to business growth and digital transformation imperatives, while 54% of employers engage in structured apprenticeship or internship programs.

The findings indicate that early-career and first-generation graduates (53%) and women professionals (48%) are the primary beneficiaries of D&I-linked skilling initiatives.

Pankaj Jathar, CEO of NIIT Ltd, emphasized that organizations are realizing that sustainable talent growth hinges on inclusive skilling strategies that broaden access to these capabilities across diverse talent pools.

Almost half of the respondents, including students and employees, expressed a willingness to invest 2 to 5 hours per week in upskilling, which aligns closely with the preferences of 49% of employers and academic leaders for fostering job readiness.

Furthermore, around 69% of organizations raised their learning and development expenditure per employee last year, reflecting a strategic focus on enhancing internal capabilities amid talent shortages.

While 62% of students prefer hybrid work models, only 38% of employers currently provide fully remote roles across all functions, highlighting a notable expectation gap for new entrants.

This report is based on a comprehensive survey involving 3,500 respondents from the student, professional, recruiter, CXO, and academic leader demographics.

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