The Gov training digest!
Welcome to the latest issue of our Central Government newsletter.
This month, we’ll be diving into all things NHS, and how central services such as NHS Digital and NHSX can focus skilling efforts for successful digital transformation, and a more innovative future.
Data: the key to the NHS’s biggest challenges
In 2024, data is king across all sectors. Data analysis, processing and visualisation skills are among the most in-demand for organisations striving for digital transformation.
Few sectors, though, are dealing with more complex data, in bigger quantities than healthcare.
The problem and potential
We understand that managing vast amounts of patient and service data, and data of all kinds, is a high priority across the NHS. Security, data science, data literacy and AI will all be of critical importance for NHS staff and organisations to deliver the transformation the sector requires. This places data skilling top of the agenda, as proper data mastery could deliver critically needed transformation.
According to the Health foundation, stronger use of data will allow the NHS to:
- Address the growing backlog and waiting times by using data driven tools to increase efficiency, improve delivery and accelerate time to diagnosis and treatment.
- Measure and understand health inequalities to allocate resources more equitably.
- Innovate services, such as digital-first primary care, allowing patients to better manage their own health.
- Identify areas for care improvement, support prioritisation and develop effective interventions.
- Model the future demand for care to ensure funding, resources and plans support this.
To make these possibilities into reality, data skills are first needed throughout the NHS Trust workforce.
The solution
Enter Microsoft…
The tech giant, tried and true for their office applications and software used the world over, is on a mission to help the NHS upskill in data. This includes certifications in Excel, PowerBI and more, as well as integrated learning with the NHS Edward Jenner programme.
But what of the sector’s funding challenges? That’s where apprenticeships come in, offering a fully government funded way to inject the data skills mentioned above into the NHS workforce. This can help to ensure that learners are fully supported and deliver the impact of their learning faster.
QA are partnered with Microsoft to achieve just this. We’ve already helped over 200 trusts and NHS organisations to develop their digital workforce. Check out the case study below to discover how we assisted East London NHS trust to inject new data skills into their teams:
42% named lack of tech skills and knowledge as barriers to digital transformation
In a digitised NHS, cybersecurity must be not only high on the agenda, but also a shared responsibility across all parts of the service.
Sophisticated hacking and cyberwarfare pose a threat not just to the organisation itself, but critically, to patient data and privacy, too. Breaches can disrupt access to vital information, and delivery of care.
For the best protection, you need the right talent to tailor and maintain cybersecurity. It pays to embed a healthy security-aware culture across your organisation.
We understand that hiring ready qualified talent, especially in an in-demand field such as cyber security is not always an option, taking constrained budgets into account.
Yet, organisations acknowledge that the need must be filled, with 42% of people in the public sector putting difficulties with digital transformation down to ‘Lack of technology specific skills or knowledge’ according to Forrester.
Training offers a solution to upskill your workforce from within, investing in your people rather than spending over the odds to bring in expertise your can develop. Then, there’s the net-new option; filling your cybersecurity needs cost effectively with home grow talent. Here's where digital apprenticeships present a perfect opportunity.
Across our apprenticeships, tailored specifically for the NHS, we offer the additional benefit of partnering with the Edward Jenner NHS Leadership Academy, to instil your apprenticeship talent with integral values.
Unsure which option is right for your needs (and budget) at this time? Partner with an expert who can offer the best of both, to tailor a solution for you.
Check out our range of courses, learning paths and apprenticeships in Cyber Security below.
Digital transformation, data, AI, advances in cybersecurity… all these present huge opportunities, for a brighter, innovative healthcare future. Each of these vital areas can only be maximised if they harmonise with the others. Here’s where the importance of project and programme management comes in: the lynchpin in your digital transformation plans to ensure it runs like clockwork.
The benefits of project management in a healthcare context include:
- Optimised resource allocation, for financial savings and improved ROI
- Streamlined communication, faster access to information and record maintenance
- Strengthened productivity, allowing staff to meet changing demand such as in a public health emergency
It's no wonder then, that we are seeing a surge in popularity across Project and Product Management solutions. To explore the benefits many are harnessing in the face of complex digital transformation roadmaps, check out our courses and certifications in project management below.
Cyber-attack ready? 4 steps to protect your supply chain
Recently we’ve seen the NHS become another victim of a supply chain cyber-attack, and witnessed the significant consequences this can have on critical health services.
QA spoke to our cyber security expert, Richard Beck, to unpack the best strategy to protect organisations for the future. You can read the full blog below.
What’s the take-away?
Richard asserts that “there are no good reasons for not mandating MFA, encrypting your data, initiating robust password policies, and implementing Zero Trust security. Organisations can better protect their data, services, and systems from these evolving threats.”
Could agile be the skillset missing from your digital transformation plans?
Check out our State of Learning in Agile report to see how you could take advantage:
Course leaderboard
Curious to see what everyone is buying? We're an open book! Here are our 10 top selling courses of the month: