In Demand IT Skills You Must Have - 3. Data analytics and data science

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Data analytics and data science

New data will continue to accumulate, pandemic or not. Data analysts are hot commodities because organizations need professionals who can store and manage data. Data scientists are needed to dig into that data and understand how it can be used to solve problems and make informed decisions.

But it’s been a double-edged sword as organizations have struggled to manage the wealth of new data. By 2025, IDC estimates the world will create and replicate 163 zettabytes (ZB) of data, 10 times the number that was created in 2016.5 This new data is constantly accumulating, creating a host of storage and security risks that must be addressed. IT professionals are desperately needed to manage data growth. It’s a top challenge in IT, and it’s exacerbated by the fact that decision-makers can’t find enough qualified individuals with this specific skill set.

“Data is a crucial component for organizations and governments because it helps leaders make decisions based on facts and trends,” said Donovan Scott, Global Knowledge product leader. “Data scientists and analysts are supporting these efforts by extracting, processing and analyzing data to answer critical questions and make predictions.”

For IT professionals whose organizations are currently in an economic trough, over half say that data analytics will be an important skill as they navigate the road back to growth.1

Data analysts and scientists are already playing a big role in the health care industry in the fight against COVID-19.

“These roles are actively seeking to determine infection and transmission rates, health care system demand, and establish projections for local, state and national policy decision-making,” Scott said.