Online learning opportunities from IEEE will help you capitalize on the record-high level of investments in technology being made worldwide.

One look at the rapid technological advancements taking place all around us in today’s digital society and the bottom line is clear:  technology doesn’t just fuel business anymore — it is the business.

Such was the conclusion drawn by Deloitte’s 2023 Global Technology Leadership Study, which surveyed nearly 1,200 chief information officers (CIOs), chief technology officers (CTOs), and other senior technology decision-makers worldwide.  While the average technology budget as a percentage of revenue for these companies was 3.64% in 2018, it increased to 5.49% in 2022. Deloitte expects that number to rise to 5.85% in 2024 – an unprecedented 60% increase in just about five years.

Deloitte experts attribute this significant increase in tech investment to pent-up demand for technology during the pandemic. Another factor they identified is the recent dispersion of leadership roles in the corporate tech space, which now authorizes a broader range of leaders beyond just the CIO (such as CTOs, Chief Digital Officers, and Chief Data Officers, to name just a few) to drive tech-related investments. 

A Post-Pandemic Infusion of Funds 

The pandemic, along with its subsequent supply chain issues and shipping delays, served as eye-opening reminders of how dependent many economies were on foreign suppliers for key technologies.  This realization became a major catalyst for the recent spike in tech investment.

In the U.S., for example, The CHIPS (“Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors”) and Science Act, enacted in August 2022, earmarked over US$50 billion for domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in America.  It also established a 25% tax credit for capital investments in semiconductor manufacturing.  Since then, the U.S. White House reports that companies have committed over US$231 billion of investments in semiconductor and electronics technology and manufacturing in an effort to boost America’s global competitiveness and make its supply chains more robust and resilient.

The European CHIPS Act, enacted in February 2022, similarly aims to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in semiconductors and their various applications.  And there are many more investments as countries around the world consider their own role in the overall semiconductor landscape.

Other Technology Investments

The global rise in tech investments goes way beyond just semiconductors, however. For instance, through its recent investment in electric vehicle brand Ceer — a joint venture between PIF (the Public Investment Fund, a global sustainable investor), Taiwanese-based Foxconn, and BMW — and its new manufacturing plant in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia is hoping to enter the electric vehicle (EV)/renewables space and diversify from oil into what it describes as “the industries of tomorrow.”

All of the aforementioned global tech investments aim to attract top talent and create workforce opportunities. However, experts warn that it’s a dream which may not be fully realized based on the current state of the talent pool.

“A lack of talent is a top issue constraining growth,” said the authors of the McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023. This survey of 3.5 million job postings across a variety of tech fields found that there are up to twice as many job postings than qualified applicants for many of the skills in greatest demand. According to the report, this is especially true in such areas as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, semiconductors, quantum technologies, space technologies, and electrification and renewables.

Invest In Your Company’s Growth and Success

With technology changing rapidly and investments in technology being made at record-high levels around the world, organizations need to fill the talent gap with targeted training in order to position their company and workforce for success in the evolving marketplace. Among the best and easiest ways to achieve that is through the broad range of online learning opportunities offered by IEEE.

A variety of studies confirm that online learning is cost-effective (often half the cost of traditional classroom training!), efficient, and convenient.  And according to separate studies by the Research Institute of America and the Association for Talent Development, it’s also associated with higher retention rates as well as greater employee engagement and productivity. Given all of the many advantages of eLearning, there’s never been a better time to invest in your company’s growth and success by participating in these and other online learning opportunities through IEEE.

IEEE eLearning Offerings:

  • The IEEE Learning Network — Access hundreds of educational courses through this online learning platform, which offers the latest continuing education in engineering and technology.  From instruction in 5G, the smart grid, and renewable energy to AI, next-generation IoT, current standards, and much more, the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) can help you advance your career, refresh your skills, or just keep you on top of the latest industry trends.
  • The IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers — Offered by IEEE in conjunction with New Jersey’s renowned Rutgers Business School, the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers is an outstanding and convenient program expressly designed for engineers and technology professionals.  The 12-week program covers key topics such as business strategy, managing new product development, analyzing financial statements, intellectual property strategy, sales and marketing, and leadership.  The course offers a robust combination of expert instruction, peer interaction, self-paced video lessons, interactive assessments, live office hours, and a hands-on capstone project experience.

For more information or to register for any or all of our comprehensive collection of online learning opportunities, visit https://innovate.ieee.org/educational-resources/. 

Resources

(9 August 2023).  “One Year after the CHIPS and Science Act, Biden-⁠Harris Administration Marks Historic Progress in Bringing Semiconductor Supply Chains Home, Supporting Innovation, and Protecting National Security.”  White House Briefing.

“European CHIPS Act.”  European Commission.

(26 July 2023).  “Saudi Arabia Drives Towards an Electric Future.”  Public Investment Fund (PIF) News.

“From Tech Investment to Impact:  Strategies for Allocating Capital and Articulating Value.”  Deloitte Insights.

Chui, Michael, Issler, Mena, Roberts, Roger, and Yee, Lareina.  (20 July 2023).  “McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023.”  McKinsey Digital.

Roshi, Ludjon.  (25 February 2023).  “E-Learning Statistics 2023.”  Codeless.

A number of key tech trends are dominating industry headlines in 2023. They’re disrupting a diverse range of industries. This signals the world’s entry into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (“Industry 4.0”). This era will be marked by rapid change to technology, industries, societal patterns, and processes. These changes are driven by increasing interconnectivity and smart automation.

Are you up to speed on these trends?

Wi-Fi 6

Officially certified in 2020, IEEE Standard 802.11ax™ enhances the speed and reliability of wireless networks. (It is especially effective in high-density environments where a large number of devices are connected to a network.) This standard represents the underlying technology of the latest Wi-Fi 6 products.

According to Network World’s Neal Weinberg, “Wi-Fi 6 has quickly become the de facto standard for wireless LAN technology (WLAN) superseding Wi-Fi 5, and delivers improved performance, extended coverage and longer battery life compared to Wi-Fi 5.” Thanks to its more efficient quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and spectrum utilization, he expects Wi-Fi 6 to deliver a nearly 40% increase in pure throughput.

Impacting everything from telehealth and security to defense, food service, manufacturing, the automotive industry, and much more, IEEE Standard 802.11ax ushers in a new era in remote imaging, surveillance, and smart communications in today’s highly connected landscape.

Configuration Management

As part of an alarming and ongoing trend, Security Magazine reported that global cyber attacks in 2022 increased by 38% over 2021 levels. Based on similar findings in a recent Allianz Risk Barometer report, Forbes contributor Chuck Brooks concurred that cyber security threats remain a top issue for organizations. This is true even amid other recent worldwide challenges. Specifically, “cyber perils are the biggest concern for companies globally,” Brooks said. “The threat of ransomware attacks, data breaches, or major IT outages worries companies even more than business and supply chain disruption, natural disasters, or the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which have heavily affected firms in the past year.”

Configuration management (CM) is among an organization’s best defenses against this growing threat. According to cybersecurity provider UpGuard, CM principles help optimize servers, networks, operating systems, and other IT assets. They also enhance the consistency and traceability of configuration changes, minimizing the risk of data breaches.

Benefitting a diverse range of industries— from finance and healthcare to engineering, automotive, defense, and many others— CM helps build IT systems that better manage and respond to critical incidents. It enhances safety, security, and reliability.

Time Sensitive Networking

Fueled by a set of IEEE 802® standards known industry-wide as the “TSN toolset,” time sensitive networking enables data traffic of time-critical applications to be carried over a network shared by various kinds of applications having different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. According to CISCO’s white paper entitled “Time-Sensitive Networking: A Technical Introduction,” “TSN technology is centrally managed and delivers guarantees of delivery.” In the case of autonomous vehicles, for example, TSN helps provide the quick processing and clear communication needed for the safe and accurate operation of everything from the steering wheel and brakes to anti-lock/anti-slip functions and road-scanning systems. And in the world of industrial automation, TSN helps ensure connectivity and real-time quality of service to mission-critical industrial applications involving robots, smart sensor/meters, intelligent manufacturing, and more.

Because it allows engineers and technicians to determine the exact time it will take for traffic to travel across a network (achieving what’s known as “determinism”) and also assesses delays in the process, TSN will deliver tremendous benefits to a diverse range of industries that rely on rapid and reliable connectivity, including industrial automation, manufacturing, automotive and aerospace, telecommunications, entertainment, and more.

Internet of Things (IoT) Security

According to Statista, the number of IoT-connected devices globally is expected to triple from 9.7 billion in 2020 to over 29 billion in 2030. While this trend reflects greater global connectivity than ever, it also exposes this rapidly growing number of devices to a broad range of threats. Such threats arise if they’re not properly protected. Because IoT attacks present a variety of risks, the need for and value of robust IoT security has never been more imperative. An understanding of the evolving legislation behind IoT security and the need for best security practices will impact everyone. This includes product developers and device manufacturers to engineers, smart city planners, and more.

Let IEEE Help You Sharpen Your Skills and Prepare for the Future

Don’t fall behind in 2023! Stay on top of these major trends and technologies by staying up to date with IEEE. You can find training on a variety of hot topics by browsing the IEEE Learning Network, an online platform featuring hundreds of resources.

Resources

Weinberg, Neal. (24 May 2022). What is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and why do we need it? Network World.

UpGuard. (1 August 2022). What Is Configuration Management and Why Is It Important? UpGuard Website content..

Brooks, Chuck. (21 January 2022). Cybersecurity in 2022 – A Fresh Look at Some Very Alarming Stats. Forbes.

Anderson, Joy LePree. (20 January 2023). Global Cyberattacks Increased 38% in 2022. Security Magazine.

(2017). Time-Sensitive Networking: A Technical Introduction. CISCO White Paper.

Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. (22 November 2022). Number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices worldwide from 2019 to 2021, with forecasts from 2022 to 2030. Statista.

English is the most spoken language in the world, with the number of speakers (native and non-native) totaling more than 1.4 billion in 2022. Over the years, English has become—for all intents and purposes—the language of science. International conferences are held in English, and the world’s top scientific journals are in English. In fact, 95% of all articles published in scientific journals in 2020 were written in English. 

Among many professionals, scientists, technologists, and business experts who belong to various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, English is how they communicate with a global audience. Without fluency in English, engineering students and professionals may find it difficult to understand the concepts being conveyed by international colleagues, struggle to publish as much as they would like, and even lag behind in career advancement.

Build on What You Know

Careful reading and writing are key skills for fields beyond the humanities. Communication skills play a significant role in STEM-based professions. According to John Kanjirakkat, a teacher of humanities in STEM institutions, “One cannot claim a meaningful understanding of a concept if they cannot write about it with clarity.” Every professional should be able to write what makes their work different or unique, especially in academic or trade journals.

Although several free and paid online tools are available, researchers should not rely on them too heavily. Developing your own writing abilities will be better in the long run. “If you are leaning very hard on these tools to choose the right words and the right grammar for you…then your work could be full of errors [of which] you aren’t even aware,” warns Tracy Volz, director of the engineering communications program at Rice University.

When reviewers criticize the writing in a manuscript, it is often because the writing is poorly organized. “That’s a problem that all writers can face whether English is their primary language or not,” according to Anna Clemens, an academic-writing coach based in Prague. Clemens encourages students to “try to articulate the key idea of their paper in a few short, well-worked-out English sentences. They can then reuse and build on that language as they write.” Your best bet, however, Clemens notes, is to find a community to help.

Get Support from the IEEE Community

The IEEE English for Technical Professionals course program is designed to provide speakers with a basic knowledge of English better understand the techniques, and vocabulary essential to the technical and engineering workplace.

The program includes:

  • 18 hours of online instruction with lessons set in working engineering contexts
  • Modules on reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills
  • Short assessments and exercises throughout the program to help improve skills
  • Final quiz/test at the end of each level
  • Certificates are issued at the end of each lesson, as well as at the end of the full program

The skills and techniques covered in this course program benefits not only current working engineers and technical professionals, but also new graduates entering technical industries, university students studying engineering and other technical concepts, as well as Ph.D. students, research scholars, and individuals who want to improve their technical writing.

Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn more about how to offer this program within your organization.

Interested in the program for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.

Resources

Hernández Bonilla, Juan Miguel. (30 Jul 2021). How to end the hegemony of English in scientific research. El País. 

Kanjirakkat, Jobin. (10 August 2022). Why Teach the Humanities in STEM Institutions. LiveWire.

Katsnelson, Alla. (29 August 2022). Poor English skills? New AIs help researchers to write better. Nature. 

Kaufman, Anna. (23 August 2022). What is the most spoken language in the world 2022? Top 10 spoken languages, globally. USA Today.

Engineers spend much of their time learning technical skills. However, they may not be as invested in learning the communication and business knowledge needed to ascend to leadership positions. These skills are becoming especially important as digital transformation is forcing traditional workforces to evolve.

While technical certifications can certainly make an impressive addition to your resume, a mix of technical and non-technical certifications is even better. Consider these insightful tips from IT leaders on how to obtain and make the most of professional certifications. These tips were originally published in CIO (magazine).

Seven Tips to Help You Grow Professionally

  1. Get certified in areas where your skills are lacking:
    Chief Information Officers (CIOs) at big technology organizations tend to have excellent IT skills. However, these skills are often paired with a lack in communication skills. CIOs from customer-facing business to business organizations often have the opposite problem. This is according to Saurabh Chandra, managing director at Boston Consulting Group. “These technology leaders need to get certified in areas that they lack. While CIOs push their team to get certified, they need to come out of their comfort zones and follow suit,” Chandra said.
  2. Establish your own way of learning:
    Rather than going along with professional learning trends, you should establish a personalized list of certifications. Aim to finish these within 18 months, advises Puneesh Lamba, CIO of Shahi Exports, an apparel manufacturing company. “The courses should be shortlisted, keeping in mind both the individual’s interest and the organization’s need,” Lamba said.
  3. Obtain certifications that expand knowledge of your industry:
    “If I have to remain in the insurance industry, I have to continuously build on my knowledge base,” said Mayank Bhargava, chief technology and data officer at Pramerica Life Insurance.
  4. Make sure the certifications you are obtaining are meaningful:
    Look for certifications that will add real value to your skills, advises Sunil Mehta, senior vice president and area systems director for Central Asia at advertising agency WPP. “Getting certified after attending one to two hours of a local online course doesn’t add true value,” Mehta said.
  5. Implement your knowledge:
    “At the end of the day, it is the content, faculty, and case studies of a course that cumulatively open the mind,” said Sourabh Chatterjee, president and head of technology, digital sales, and travel at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. “Without implementing the knowledge thus acquired, a certification will only serve the purpose of self-gratification.”
  6. Immerse yourself in projects as if you are a non-manager:
    Sourabh Chatterjee, president and head of technology, digital sales, and travel at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, said he takes a hands-on approach to projects. This includes areas like coding, designing, process flow, testing, or architecture. “This not only helps me to put into practice what I learned in a certification course. It also enables me to stay relevant by getting insights into crucial aspects of a project, such as human behavior, technology, content, and motivation,” said Chatterjee.
  7. Match your technical certifications with business certifications 50:50:
    “For every AI and data science certification, I also undertake a business certification. This helps in enhancing my behavioral and influencing skills. It enables me to build a business case for technology and aids me in transforming the IT department,” said Lamba.

As an engineer, growing your leadership skills is essential. Do you have the skills necessary to take on a leadership role and compete in a constantly evolving job market?

Show You Have What It Takes to Become a Leader

Whether you’re looking to grow within your current organization or find opportunities elsewhere, start preparing for your next move. Use continuing education courses specifically designed for engineers and other technical professionals.

IEEE Leading Technical Teams is a training program which recognizes the unique challenges that come with leading technical groups. It is designed for team leaders, managers, and directors of engineering and technology teams. Participants should have been in their role for a minimum of six months. The program equips technical leaders with tools to flourish, while unlocking their professional growth and success. Additionally, it inspires and motivates their teams to greater heights of innovation.

IEEE Leading Technical Teams consists of two components:

  • A “360° Leadership Practices Inventory” (LPI), which solicits confidential feedback on both the leader’s areas of strength. It also identifies opportunities for improvement from their team members, peers, and managers/supervisors.
  • A 6-hour, in-person training session, where attendees receive the results of their LPI. During the session, participants engage in targeted instructor-led exercises. They discuss case studies highlighting the unique challenges faced by technical leaders. They also learn solutions and best practices to apply to their specific situations. In addition, they are taught the “Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership” and receive valuable peer coaching.

Learn more about IEEE Leading Technical Teams and how you can enroll for a future session, with in-person and virtual options available. 

IEEE has partnered with Rutgers Business School to offer the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA. Designed specifically for groups of ten or more within an organization, this program operates entirely online. It features topics including business strategy, managing product development, finance, negotiation, managing human capital, intellectual property strategy, and transformational agility.

To learn more about offering the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for your organization, in order to help your staff grow into leadership roles, contact an IEEE Account Manager today.

Resources

Singh, Yashvendra. (17 June 2022). 3 certification tips for IT leaders looking to get ahead. CIO.

career-change

Have you been stuck in the same technical profession for years? Whether you are looking for a job with more opportunities or desire to move into a completely new field, making the right moves and staying focused on your goals will be essential to landing your next gig. Here are seven steps you can take to get there.

Start by asking yourself what you want in your next career:

What do you like and dislike about your current role? Do you prefer to work in teams or independently? What are the skills and tasks you find most enjoyable? Create a list of these preferences to use as a reference while you look to make your career switch. 

Consider your personal values:

Perhaps you like your job, but the organization you work for conflicts with your values. Make a list of organizations whose values align with your own. You can typically find this information in a company’s mission statement. Once you’ve determined which organization’s values are in sync with yours, take a look at their job openings and see what opportunities are available that may interest you. 

Check out which industries are growing the most:

This research will give you valuable insight into what fields are providing the best opportunities. You can often find this information through government research— such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections— or by researching career websites, which often contain salary data. 

Rebrand yourself as a professional:

Once you know the type of job you want and the kinds of organizations you wish to find employment, rebrand yourself in a way that aligns with your desired position. Be sure to revise your online career profile, business cards, resume, and social media profiles in a way that sends a message to potential employers that you are a good match for them. Your cover letters should also reflect this personal branding. 

Get more experience in your dream job:

A big obstacle people often face when trying to switch careers is not having enough experience in their desired field. To solve this problem, consider picking up related freelance and/or volunteer work. Not only is it a great addition to your resume, it will show prospective employers that you are serious about making a change. As another benefit, you may also increase your network by creating connections in the field. 

However, if the skills are sophisticated and require training outside freelance and volunteer work, consider obtaining a certification or even going back to school. 

Have a plan:

Your next step is to set goals and to be proactive in achieving them. Commit a certain amount of time each day to network, search jobs, and submit your resume. It’s also important to set a mix of both small and large goals. For example, you can make it a goal to submit two resumes a day or submit five per week. You could plan to attend at least one networking event each month or work towards building a more robust LinkedIn profile. Whatever you decide for your plan, be consistent.

Grow your professional network:

To land a job outside your current field, you need to grow your professional connections to include people in that industry. A few ways to do this include using your alumni network, attending local professional events, volunteering, and reaching out to professionals on social media who work in that field. See if they are willing to speak to you and offer you advice.

Switching careers is not easy for everyone. However, knowing what you want, having goals, and staying consistent can help you be much more successful in landing your next job. 

Build Your Knowledge Through Continuing Education

Jumpstart your career change through continuing education and professional development! Making a point to develop new skills can help show potential employees that you’re dedicated to improving within your current or future field of expertise.

Since its launch in 2019, the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) has provided continuing education to technical professionals from around the world. With hundreds of courses available across IEEE, ILN offers the latest in continuing education for engineers and technology professionals who want to advance professionally, refresh their skills, or stay up-to-date with the latest trends.

Explore the courses and start learning today on iln.ieee.org!

Resources

Indeed Editorial Team. (9 November 2021). How To Switch Careers: A Step-By-Step Guide. Indeed.com.

Adamczyk, Alicia. (22 September 2022).  If you want to change careers, start by finding your ‘why’. CNBC.

Liu, Joseph. (2 April 2019). How To Change Careers, According To 50 People Who Made A Pivot. Forbes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created major disruptions for business leaders, including a sudden shift to digital transformation. This change has forced many to rethink how they lead newly established remote and hybrid teams. While this change has been difficult for some, it’s nothing an effective leader can’t handle. According to Benoni Tagoe, the president of Raedio, an “audio everywhere” company, there are six ways to improve leadership in this new environment. Below is a summary of his tips, originally published in Rolling Stone.

Six Ways to Improve Leadership

1. Be transparent and listen: Leaders who are implementing new ways to work should take time to understand how this affects their teams. “Spend a few meetings observing and listening to them,” states Tagoe. “You’ll gain more by letting them speak first, before responding to their ideas and opinions.”

2. Establish policies that encourage staff “to protect their space”: To help your employees work better from home, consider budgeting for work-from-home office setups.

3. Check-in with your employees: Take time to get to know your team members and form connections with them beyond the office. This can be done through virtual lunches or other gatherings. “With my team, I sent everyone a gift card for Goldbelly that allowed them to order food from restaurants around the country,” writes Tagoe. “My note was simple: Since we all can’t visit our favorite restaurants, we’re bringing your favorite menu items to you. Then I followed up on a team meeting and asked them what they ordered, which allowed the entire team to bond over their favorite meals.”

4. Establish “rules of engagement” for video calls: You don’t always need to conduct team meetings over video. However, you should probably use video for client meetings, writes Tagoe. Leaders should also make sure calls on the calendar are absolutely necessary. This will help prevent unneeded calls that could have been emails. 

5. Regularly update your employees on remote policies: Leaders planning a return to physical offices should keep their employees informed with a general timeline. 

6. Keep in mind that most employees want the ability to choose: Staff value being able to choose who they work with, what projects they work on, and how they perform their tasks. “As a leader, your mandate is to make sure you engineer events that create camaraderie and allow fellow team members to create a bond around the work,” Tagoe writes. One way to accomplish this would be to restate company goals and explain decisions made that impact them directly. Moreover, make sure they are up-to-date with financials and business challenges. This transparency helps them make informed decisions.  

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rattle global markets, leaders will continue to face challenges. However, you may find it easier to navigate this new world of remote/hybrid work by following these simple tips. 

Create Leaders in Organization

IEEE has partnered with Rutgers Business School to offer the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA. Designed specifically for groups of ten or more within an organization, this program operates entirely online. It features topics including business strategy, managing product development, finance, negotiation, managing human capital, intellectual property strategy, and transformational agility.

Participants will learn how to make organizational decisions with both technical and operational considerations. After developing an understanding of how different functional groups interact to achieve overall goals, they will learn to apply their newly developed business skills to better align their technical capabilities with business strategy.

Additionally, the program offers the option of a customized capstone project, completely aligned to the needs of your organization. As part of the project, you’ll receive feedback from program professors who have worked as engineering leaders themselves.

To learn more about the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for your organization, contact an IEEE Account Manager today.

Resources

Tagoe, Benoni. (15 November 2021). 6 Tips for Effective Leadership in Uncertain Times. Rolling Stone.

A digital badge is a visual symbol that represents the development of a new skill that can be displayed, accessed, and verified online. Digital badges are becoming increasingly popular among professionals as a way to prove they have important skill sets, particularly among those working in technical fields.

“A digital badge is further proof someone has achieved a credential and maintained that credential,” Nader Qaimari, chief product officer at ISACA, told TechTarget.  

Digital badges come embedded with metadata that provide information beyond only skill sets, including date of completion and the awarding organization. They may also include whether the badge needs to be renewed and if that has been accomplished through additional training. 

Digital badges are becoming popular because of the benefits they provide for both workers and employers. For professionals, badges demonstrate proof of their skills and accomplishments, which they can display on their online professional profiles, in their email signatures, and on social media. 

“They allow people to more easily express that they’ve been certified to employers and to each other,” James Stanger, chief technology evangelist at CompTIA, an organization that awards digital badges for its certifications, told TechTarget.

Why Do Digital Badges Matter to Organizations and Employers?

A number of organizations now offer digital badge programs for their employees. IBM has developed a comprehensive digital badging program of ‘badge families’ associated with the attainment of knowledge and skills in analytics, cloud computing, mobile computing, enterprise design thinking and more. In 2020, the company said it awarded three million digital badges since 2015. Additionally, Cisco, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Oracle, and SAP have embraced the Mozilla Open Badges standard, a free software and open technical standard for any organization that wants to develop, issue and verify digital badges.

For employers who acknowledge digital badges, it improves operations by motivating workers to boost their knowledge and skills, and is a smart way to show the world that they employ skilled, qualified professionals. Digital badges help organizations build their brand and find new audiences across social media. They also allow HR departments to quickly spot qualified candidates online, reducing the amount of time it takes to recruit such candidates.

Earn Digital Badges with IEEE

An IEEE digital badge is a credential that indicates an accomplishment or skill that has been earned through completing certain IEEE course programs or attending certain IEEE events. These badges can be displayed and verified online.

How Do You Earn IEEE Digital Badges?

Individuals can take part in IEEE digital badging by completing any of the course programs listed below through the IEEE Learning Network (ILN). Please note that you must complete all courses in the program in order to earn a digital badge.

IEEE English for Technical Professionals
This course program provides an overview of machine learning in the age of big data, cloud computing, and data-saturation.

Automotive Cyber Security
This five-course course aims to foster the discussion on automotive cyber security solutions and requirements for not only intelligent vehicles, but also the infrastructure of intelligent transportation systems.

AI Standards
This five-course series is to provide instructions for a comprehensive approach to creating ethical and responsible digital ecosystems. 

Digital Transformation
This five-course program aimed to foster a discussion around how digital transformation can revolutionize various industries and provide the background knowledge needed to intelligently implement digital tools into organizations.

Machine Learning
This five-course provides an overview of machine learning in the age of big data, cloud computing, and our data-saturated society.

Bridging the 4G/5G Gap

Part One focuses on the historical overview of 4G/5G technology and how it has impacted society and residents of the United States. 

Part Two focuses on the scientific evidence surrounding wireless facilities’ impact on property value and human health – including addressing conspiracy theories. 

Individuals can also complete select IEEE Educational Activities virtual events to earn a badge:

Effective Remote Instruction Virtual Conference
This five-event series allows you to hear from faculty from across the globe as they share real-world examples and best practices in remote instruction. 

Engineering Education 2.0 Series
Engineering Education 2.0 is a four-part series that equips participants with skills to apply best practices and understanding from current STEM higher-education research literature.

Organizations can get institutional access through ILN to these courses for their employees. Contact an IEEE Account Specialist to learn more.

Managers promoted for their technical knowledge sometimes lack the soft skills vital for them to be effective leaders who inspire and foster commitment among their teams. With the right training, these managers can grow to become strong, well rounded leaders.

How Can You Become A Better Leader?

The difference between an effective leader and one who simply holds a management title is that an effective leader is self-reflective and proactively embraces opportunities for growth. According to executive coach Monique Valcour, there are three simple steps you can take to become a better leader.

1) Determine a new leadership skill you want to achieve:

Is there a particular problem you need to solve? Before looking for solutions, figure out how you can improve your performance as a leader to tackle the problem. This will require you to focus on yourself instead of what’s worrying you. To be an effective leader, you need to understand that you cannot “fix” people the same way you would fix a technical issue, and you need to learn to recognize how your own behavior and thinking affects those around you. When things go wrong, do you have a tendency to overreact or criticize others? If so, you could be contributing to the problem in ways you don’t realize. To avoid this, identify what is important to you about achieving your goals and why you want to achieve them. This can help motivate you to learn and grow self-reflectively as a leader.

2) Ask for feedback to improve your understanding of the problem, just as you would if you were attempting to solve a technical issue:

A great way to expand your understanding of a problem is to ask others for their feedback and perspectives. For instance, if you feel as though an employee is acting out or struggling, talk to them about the situation before jumping to conclusions. Understand that criticizing a team member or giving them a poor performance evaluation without understanding the situation from their perspective can be demoralizing and may cause them to mistrust you.

3) Once you’ve developed insight into the situation and how your own behavior may have played a role, take steps to effective change:

Just as leaders give feedback to their employees, they should also seek feedback from their teams about how they can improve their own leadership moving forward (what executive coach Marshall Goldsmith dubs “feedforward”). This process can help build communication, accountability, and trust between yourself and your team.

How Can Organizations Improve Leadership?

Organizations that do not take responsibility for ineffective leadership in their ranks often suffer from low employee morale and performance. Training programs can help new managers understand what actually represents good leadership, as well as what they need to do to become effective leaders. By creating opportunities for growth, organizations can create a culture of effective leadership that benefits everyone.

Develop Effective Leaders Within Your Organization

IEEE has partnered with Rutgers Business School to offer the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers. Ranked as one of the three best Mini-MBAs by Forbes, the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers helps corporate employees bridge the gap between business and engineering as they prepare for growth into leadership roles. The program operates entirely online and is designed specifically for groups of ten or more within an organization. It features topics, such as business strategy, managing product development, finance, negotiation, managing human capital, intellectual property strategy, and transformational agility.

Participants learn how to make organizational decisions with both technical and operational considerations. After developing an understanding of how different functional groups interact to achieve overall goals, they learn to apply their newly developed business skills to better align their technical capabilities with business strategy.

The program offers the option of a customized capstone project, completely aligned to the needs of your organization. As part of the project, participants receive feedback from program professors who have worked as engineering leaders themselves.

To learn more about the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers for your organization, contact an IEEE Account Manager today.

Resources

Valcour, Monique. (24 May 2021). Transform Your Technical Expertise into Leadership. Harvard Business Review. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizations around the world to digitize their workforces. As the pandemic continues and remote work becomes the new norm for many organizations, leaders who fail to effectively transition into the digital realm may struggle. However, there are steps they can take to adopt the increasingly digital workspace and become digitally savvy leaders.

Employees Want Digitally Savvy Leaders

According to a newly released report from MIT Sloan Management Review, 93% of employees across regions and industries think digital savviness is necessary to succeed. Having a sense of purpose is also important. 72% of workers surveyed stated that they “strongly agree that it is very important to them to work for an organization with a purpose they believe in,” according to the Leadership’s Digital Transformation report. Additionally, 88% of workers surveyed reported that having leaders who are digitally savvy is critical to their company’s ability to achieve that purpose. 

However, less than half of those surveyed said their organizations have created project teams that are intentionally diverse when it comes to digital savviness. Furthermore, only 31% thought their companies were assessing the digital skills of their managers. Less than 20% thought their companies were ensuring digital know-how among their high ranking managers. 

Focus on Purpose

Your workers can often sense if you aren’t passionate about the organization and its purpose. If you want them to feel more confident in your leadership, you need to regularly communicate the organization’s strategic purposes to your team. It can help to specify how the organization’s purposes align with their productivity and goals.

“Having a compelling mission statement isn’t enough,” the report states. “Serious leaders must appear as genuinely passionate about enterprise purpose as they are about strategy, agility, and customer centricity. The key is to authentically embed and enable purpose as part of the organization’s digital transformation trajectory. Purpose thus has an operational as well as an aspirational rationale that invites new leadership accountability.”

Develop “Digital Situational Awareness”

Since the pandemic began, remote work has blurred the traditional boundaries between work and home. Even when the work day is over, many workers still find themselves fielding emails. Often, they have to choose between work and family obligations. 

Just 28% of workers surveyed said their company had policies on how and when to contact them beyond work hours. Furthermore, only 24% said their company stuck to these policies if they had them. 

For many, gone are the days when workers could simply knock on their manager’s door. Remote employees need clarity around when and how to reach out to their bosses. This means leaders need to establish boundaries and make an effort to respect these guidelines.

“The key to being measurably more effective is becoming measurably more affective,” the report states. “Leaders who want to succeed have no choice but to digitally transform themselves. Leaders who are unwilling or unable to proactively use data and analytics to understand how their leadership is experienced will underperform.”

Take Advantage of “Mutual Mentoring”

One way leaders can digitally transform themselves is through “mutual” or “reverse” mentoring, in which younger employees mentor those who are older. Although 71% of survey respondents thought younger workers were more successful at obtaining value from digital tools at their organizations, just 19% said their organizations engaged in this kind of mentorship.

The pandemic will eventually end, but remote work is here to stay for many people. If leaders want to be successful, they need to adjust to a new way of managing employees, and for many, digital transformation will be key to their success.

Create Leaders in Your Organization

IEEE has partnered with Rutgers Business School to offer the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers. Designed specifically for groups of ten or more within an organization, this program operates entirely online. It features topics including business strategy, managing product development, finance, negotiation, managing human capital, intellectual property strategy, and transformational agility.

Participants will learn how to make organizational decisions with both technical and operational considerations. After developing an understanding of how different functional groups interact to achieve overall goals, they will learn to apply their newly developed business skills to better align their technical capabilities with business strategy.

The program offers the option of a customized capstone project, completely aligned to the needs of your organization. As part of the project, you’ll receive feedback from program professors who have worked as engineering leaders themselves.

To learn more about the IEEE | Rutgers Online Mini-MBA for Engineers for your organization, contact an IEEE Account Manager today.

Resources

(26 January 2021). Leadership’s Digital Transformation: Leading Purposely in an Era of Context Collapse. MIT Sloan Management Review.

Do you excel at the technical side of your job but struggle to present and translate complex engineering concepts in English? There’s no getting around it: If you want to succeed as an engineer in the 21st century, fluency in English is often as important as technical acumen. Increasingly, technical organizations require their professionals to demonstrate good communications skills in English. Those who lack these skills often struggle to succeed, even if they’re great engineers.

On 21 October, the Technical English: Strategies to Improve Workplace and School Success virtual event highlighted how the new IEEE English for Technical Professionals program provides non-native English speakers with a working knowledge of English techniques and vocabulary. These are vital for succeeding in today’s technical workplace.

Presented by course instructor Traci Nathans-Kelly, PhD, who currently teaches in the Engineering Communications Program at Cornell University’s College of Engineering (USA), and Jennifer Fong, a former classroom teacher and instructional designer who now leads the education product, sales, and marketing teams at IEEE, the virtual event demonstrated:

  • the value of English language proficiency in a global workforce
  • the unique English language requirements for technical professionals and students
  • advice on how to improve technical English language skills

What is the IEEE English for Technical Professionals Program?

As discussed in a previous post, engineers across the globe are increasingly working within an international workforce. With 67 nations declaring English as their official language, English is the most commonly spoken language among engineering professionals and students as well as within international supply chains. Additionally, college and engineering programs are increasingly requiring that students be proficient in English. A large number of universities now require applicants take standardized tests in English as part of their admissions process.

The new IEEE English for Technical Professionals program is virtual and interactive. It mimics real-life scenarios in which participants apply what they are learning during lessons. Similar to a video game, they follow recurring characters through a range of plots. In these, they explore various English language concepts in a technical work environment.

The program includes:

  • 14 hours of online instruction with lessons set in working engineering contexts
  • Modules on reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills for each lesson
  • Short assessments and exercises throughout each lesson to help improve skills
  • Final quiz/test at the end of each lesson
  • Certificates issued at the end of each lesson, as well as at the end of the full program

This course program is geared towards working technical professionals, graduates entering the technical industry, university students studying technical concepts, PhD students, research scholars, and individuals who want to get better at writing technical papers.

Learning the complexities of English isn’t easy. However, through this engaging and interactive program, engineers who struggle with English will be a step closer to fluency, and a step closer to success.

Technical English: Strategies to Improve Workplace and School Success

Enable technical professionals whose first language is not English to improve their language skills in a way that fits the needs and priorities of working adults in technical fields. Watch the free IEEE virtual event, Technical English: Strategies to Improve Workplace and School Success.

Watch it on-demand now>>

Resources

Fadelli, Ingrid. (20 March 2020). Is English Still the Universal Language of Electrical Engineering? All About Circuits.

Smith, Emma. (16 January 2020). Degree programs for engineers looking to work in global development. Devex.

Skapinker, Michael. (11 November 2019). Non-English speakers are shut out of the top jobs. Financial Times.

Burma, Peter and Tran, Minh. (21 November 2016). Rating the English Proficiency of Countries and Industries Around the World. Harvard Business Review.