ENHANCED DIGITAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND DIGITAL INCLUSION: A NECESSITY FOR PROFESSIONAL RELEVANCE OF OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT IN A TECHNOLOGICAL AGE

Abstract

Technological revolution of every age dictates how they live and operate. Today, technological evolvement has made digital skills and by extension, digital inclusion an essential aspect of everyday life. In the world of work, potential employees are expected to possess basic digital skills, at least, irrespective of their core professional skills. OTM programme was a “rescue” programme for Secretarial Studies when its products, at the beginning of the millennium, risked redundancy and massive loss of job. It is however, not enough to overhaul the programme via change of curriculum, there is need to ensure the facilities and infrastructure needed to optimally transfer the skills imbedded in the curriculum. The paper adopted the approach of literature review as secondary data and reviewed the different categories of digital skills in demand today, the challenges to enhanced digital skills development and digital inclusion in Nigeria, importance of digital skills, ways to enhance digital development and inclusion. The paper concluded that digital skills are integral part of OTM programme and so the programme draws its relevance from the skills it stands to offer, hence the need to ensure the required facilities to effectively teach it are provided. Among other things, the paper suggested that NBTE should ensure frequent review of the OTM curriculum to keep it abreast with the trending digital skills in the world of work. It also suggested that infrastructural deficit should be addressed extensively and that there should be deliberate efforts to include relevant industries and private sectors.