Digital marketing giants such as Google, Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft have warned that the under-availability of digital marketing competencies is a barrier to growth.
They have teamed up with Ireland’s Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) to create the first formalised professional syllabus for the digital marketing industry, which contains more than 1,400 individual learning items.
Working with Google, Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo!, PayPal, Ogilvy and RMG to review and validate course content, the the Digital Marketing Institute aims to bridge the growing digital skills gap in Europe by providing industry-ready, qualified marketers.
Barrier to growth
Advisory council member Martin Murray from Google said the shortage of digital marketing skills is hurting the emerging industry.
“Working with advertisers and media agencies right across Europe, a common theme we hear again and again is that the under-availability of digital marketing competence is a barrier to growth across all industries,” Murray said.
The validated syllabus combines the rigour of an academic course structure and certification with the flexibility of regular adjustments advised by the Syllabus Advisory Council to reflect the very latest industry knowledge.
“Digital Marketing is a comparatively young industry, and its meteoric growth rate has left a gaping skills shortage,” Ian Dodson, co-founder and director of the Digital Marketing Institute explained.
“In a rush to upskill, marketers have been let down by a lack of standardised, industry approved and accredited education programmes, and businesses have been left without sufficiently skilled candidates to fill all the positions being created.”
Digital Europe image via Shutterstock
