Which Skills and Upcoming Qualifications Will be the Most Useful in 2022?

It’s a new year and with it comes an array of exciting new opportunities to progress in your career and take the next step in your professional development.

But which skills and qualifications will be the most valuable in 2022? With a number of skill areas growing quickly, we’ll run through the key qualifications you can get to stay relevant, stay ahead and level up this year.

Despite the pandemic increasing the need for nurses and other healthcare professionals, both the nursing and social care sectors are struggling to fill positions, which has contributed to shortages in the sector.

As of June 2021, there were over 38,000 nurse vacancies in England, according to official NHS data. Meanwhile recent data from Skills for Care shows that the vacancy rate for social care work stands at 7.2%, up by 4.4% compared to 2012.  

For those considering a career in either of these areas, right now is an excellent time to step into either role as both sectors are facing skills gaps. The roles are both fulfilling and rewarding, and the current vacancy gap means that the chances of employment after study are higher than in other industries. 

An MSc Nursing degree from remote providers like the University of Essex Online can be a great option for those who are looking to build on their undergraduate degree and step into a healthcare career.

Although the teaching sector has had a turbulent pandemic, the need for new teachers hasn’t waned. Best of all, with remote teaching become a normalised part of society, there may be more opportunities on the horizon for teachers looking to work from home full time. 

A greater reliance on remote learning for students has opened up new doors for online-only tutors and teachers, allowing them to teach subjects to students around the world.

For anyone looking to step into teaching, a good place to start can be as a teaching assistant. Courses such as the Teaching Assistant Diploma Level 2 from Online Courses Learning give you a flexible learning experience that works best for you and your schedule.

As more businesses look to establish themselves in an online sphere, digital marketers are stepping up to help them achieve their promotional goals. From understanding social media algorithms to 

In 2021, data from LinkedIn revealed that job openings within marketing had risen by 63%, showing a huge boom in opportunities for those looking for work within that sector. Now is an exciting time to begin a career in this area, or pivot from another career path. 

More and more companies are prioritising cyber security, as the number of cyber attacks has risen significantly since the pandemic started, according to data from PwC. That’s in part due to the fact that more and more companies are asking their employees to work from home, meaning that they’re more susceptible to online scams and hackers. 

Employees who are part of their IT team for their current company can consider upskilling and heading up their business’s wider online safety strategy or move on to a new role that is solely focused on security.

Although a cyber security specialist will be trusted with a lot of responsibility, it is a role that can be fairly accessible to those with a background in IT or an interest in the area. For those starting out, a Cyber Security for Beginners course, which can be completed in as little as 30 hours when studying with providers such as Hudson.

Meanwhile, other providers such as Learning People, who offers courses such as Start a Career in Cyber Security is a great option for those looking to switch careers or up-skill in their career.

The modern workforce is becoming increasingly digitised and remote, meaning that roles that can be done at home are becoming more sought after. Principly, software developers have always been ahead of the curve, often being able to work entirely remotely or with minimal supervision. 

This also means that software development and computer science roles are ideal for so-called ‘digital nomads’, the hottest new working trends where employees will spend long periods of time working in other countries or locations. LinkedIn predicts that the ability to work flexibly and remotely in this way will be a key priority for workers in 2022. 

For those who are keen to get improve their digital skills and started on coding with popular software such as Javascript, education providers like Learning People, who offer courses such as Complete Coding for Beginners courses, which cover a wider range of different coding software.

Soft skills within people management, leadership and communication will be essential over the next 12 months. As remote work becomes the norm, maintaining and improving upon quality project management and communication skills is one of the best ways for managers and team leaders to navigate a new working model successfully.

Taking on courses like the CMI Level 7 in Strategic Management and Leadership can be an excellent way to prepare yourself for the challenges that 2022 has to offer. Better still, providers like Acudemy offer fully online short courses that can be completed without the need for formal exams, perfect for anyone who’s looking to boost their career without having to slow down.

The number of data analysts has been fast-growing, with some analysts predicting a 28% rise in new job openings in this area by 2026. But with more companies tapping into ever-more accessible analytics software, there are already a huge amount of opportunities out there right now during an era of rapid digital transformation.

One of the most exciting areas of data analytics is within the Google Cloud Platform, an innovative data software that is taking the field to new heights. Getting involved with courses that focus on Data Engineering on Google Cloud Platform from training providers that can provide outstanding expertise on this new technology, such as Jellyfish Training and even allow you to enrol anytime, meaning that you can kick off your 2022 learning journey straight away.

For those who might want to ease themselves into this area, an Analytics Insights course will give you a solid foundation to build on and will teach you the core methods and principles of data analytics.

Finally, if you’re working in finance and still can’t get your head around crypto, your New Year’s resolution should be to get a good understanding of this exciting tech that could be one of the fastest-growing skill areas.

Cryptocurrencies are nothing new, most people know the difference between a blockchain and an NFT at this point. So, Crypto definitely doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Even if you’re not directly involved in investing in cryptocurrencies, anyone working within finance, either as an investor or a reporter, will want to get to grips with it over the course of the year, as the market is now worth $2.2 trillion dollars globally and may rise even higher in 2022.

If you’re keen to get a deeper knowledge in this area, getting qualified through a Cryptocurrency course. Two-week courses are offered by the London Academy of Training so you can get the latest knowledge you need in this area in no time. If you want to go further down the rabbit hole, check out how you can become a blockchain developer. Being able to add knowledge in this area to your skill set in this high-demand field will be a great way to start the new year.