Tableau Makes Pledge to Train 10 Million People to Close Data Literacy Gap

The News: This week at Tableau Conference 2021, the data vendor pledged to train 10 million people over the next five years to close the data literacy gap. 83% of CEOs expect their organizations to be more data-driven and yet only 33% of employees feel comfortable using data. The new training program from Tableau looks to close this gap. Read more about the pledge here.

Tableau Makes Pledge to Train 10 Million People to Close Data Literacy Gap

Analyst Take: Almost every organization in today’s digital-first world is a data organization. The most successful organizations create, collect, and analyze data to make informed data-backed decisions. Unfortunately, while an overwhelming percentage of CEOs think their organizations are equipped with the right tech and employees to make data backed decisions for everything, research has found the opposite. According to a report from Tableau, only one third of employees feel comfortable to use data to support their decisions. And this problem isn’t going away anytime soon.

Why Improving Data Literacy Matters

The amount of data organizations create and collect is increasingly exponentially. Data literacy is slowly becoming one of the most sought-after skillsets for employees at every level in an organization. And while many other organizations have made data literacy pledges in the past, none have been as ambitious as this new pledge from Tableau even besting its current commitment by 200%.

The Nitty Gritty of The Pledge

Tableau is introducing new training and education programs as part of the pledge as well as expanding existing initiatives to help people of all backgrounds across the globe build the necessary skills for jobs in the next decade. These programs include:

• Expanding Current Academic Programs. Tableau will provide free licenses and eLearning programs to students around the globe.
• New Salesforce Data Literacy Trail. Tableau will debut a new trail in Salesforce’s free online learning platform, Trailhead. People from around the globe can earn credentials recognized for careers in the Salesforce and Tableau ecosystem.
• Data Education in Apprenticeships. By partnering with digital transformation and leadership training organizations, Tableau is able to develop a new range of interactive training programs to help individuals upskill.
• Expanding Data Literacy for All Program. Tableau’s existing initiative will get an upgrade with new content to help more people explore and understand data.

Preparing for the Future of Work

People are a key pillar in the digital transformation journey. I think it’s too easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest piece of technology. If organizations don’t have the right people, technology will only get them so far. That’s what is so promising about these initiatives. Putting people and education first to close this data literacy gap will allow organizations to progress in their digital transformations and be better prepared for the Future of work.

Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

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The original version of this article was first published on Futurum Research.