Feature: unlocking competitive advantage with education

Matt Piddington, VP Services, Westcon Europe at Westcon-Comstor explains how education can be the key that unlocks competitive advantage for channel partners.

Businesses everywhere, from the biggest multinational enterprises to SMBs and startups, are facing a challenge that spans borders and industries: education. Specifically, the challenge is how to ensure that your workforce is equipped to thrive in a commercial landscape that’s evolving at an unprecedented rate, driven by transformative technologies like generative AI and new regulations such as the EU’s NIS2 and Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).

The scale of this task shouldn’t be underestimated. In a recent study by McKinsey, 87% of companies said they already had skills gaps or expected to within a few years. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report reveals that six in 10 workers will require training before 2027, but only half have access to adequate training opportunities today.

The good news is that many businesses stand ready to rise to the challenge. More than three quarters (78%) of leaders, for example, told McKinsey that capability building is important to their organisation’s long-term growth.

Channel challenge

So how does this universal challenge relate to our own industry?

In a highly competitive sector like the channel, where success is underpinned by commitment to innovation and an ability to stay on top of the latest technology trends, it’s clear that education plays a vital role. For example, our recent Bridging the Gap research report found that many partners feel the need to bolster their internal capabilities to address gaps in how they utilise and apply data for lifecycle selling.

To stay ahead of the curve, channel businesses need to foster a culture of continuous learning that drives innovation. This doesn’t just mean formal training; it also means embracing failure and creating a safe environment where people can learn from mistakes and grow over time.

That’s easier said than done, of course. How best to go about doing this in practical terms? Here are four steps that I would recommend following.

• Ask yourself one question

For me, it all starts with senior leaders withing a business asking themselves a difficult question: ‘Do we have the skills and capabilities internally to disrupt ourselves?’ If not, then the next question – even though it’s uncomfortable – must be: ‘Why not?’ This unwelcome truth can often be the catalyst that inspires a business to truly embrace education and continuous learning.

• Carry out an audit 

It’s important that organisations conduct clear personal development planning and consider the skills and competencies needed across the business to deliver their organisational strategy. This should start with clear mapping of skills and competencies against a job role, using frameworks like the Skills Framework for Information Age and the European e-Competency Framework which highlight best practice skills and competency levels.

Over time, this gives organisations the ability to benchmark their current capabilities against these evolving frameworks and make clear development plans for new and existing talent, ultimately ensuring the right skills and competencies can be met to deliver the organisational strategy.

• Embrace training and certification programmes

Training and certification programs are instrumental in giving professionals the skills needed to navigate the complex tech landscape. Although technology is driving digital transformation and market disruption, ensuring the workforce has the necessary skills and confidence to drive those transformations and navigate today’s marketplace is critical. For example, a recent study by Pearson Vue demonstrates that investing in IT certifications impacts the bottom line for businesses, with the ROI per credentialled employee estimated to be as high as $30,000.

Similarly, 64% of IT decision makers estimate that each credentialled IT employee adds $10,000 or more in the additional value of their contributions compared to their non-certified counterparts.

• Reskilling and upskilling

Every day, organisations make significant technology investments to drive their organisational strategy but fail to understand the skills and competencies needed to recognise the benefits of these technologies. This needs to change. To address this disconnect, channel businesses should offer reskilling and upskilling programmes. These help employees train in the skills that the organisation is lacking, and it benefits both the business and the individual.

• Embracing education and continued learning

The evidence clearly shows that organisations with a strong commitment to employee learning and development are more likely to be market leaders in their respective industries – and the channel is no exception. Embedding education and putting it at the heart of your strategy not only helps to attract top talent but also drives upskilling and internal mobility, unleashing innovation and enabling you to gain a competitive advantage.

It’s incumbent on distributors and other channel players to empower partners on this front, which is why we’re proud that our Westcon-Comstor Academy and Learning Management System continue to go from strength to strength, driving partner education and enablement. For the most-forward thinking businesses in the channel, education and continued learning are no longer buzzwords. They have become a strategic imperative, with a clear positive impact on long-term prospects of the business.  Meanwhile, those that fail to grasp the nettle on education risk being left behind.