As you consider where to invest your learning in the decade ahead or which tools to adopt within your organization, look to these 10 hot technical skills. These frameworks, languages, and cloud computing platforms represent skills that have grown in popularity based on data from Udemy’s 50+ million global learners over the last three years from 2016–2019.
For more L&D and workforce training insights, download the 2020 Workplace Learning Trends Report: The Skills of the Future.
1. TensorFlow
The #1 technical skill for 2020 is TensorFlow, a deep learning Python library developed by Google. The library is used to uncover insights and predictions from large datasets. Since its initial release, TensorFlow has amassed an ecosystem of tools and the ability to use the library in languages other than Python, including JavaScript and Swift.
2. Chatbot
According to a Gartner prediction, by 2021, 15% of all customer service interactions will be handled completely by chatbots. Chatbot technology is software powered by AI to mimic human conversations. A boon for scaling customer service teams and offering round-the-clock support, chatbots recreate the way a human interacts with customers to solve administrative tasks, sales, or frequently asked questions (FAQs).
3. Microsoft Azure
While Amazon’s AWS cloud computing platform remains the market leader in cloud providers, Microsoft’s Azure cloud services are becoming a popular option for enterprises requiring strong security implementation and alignment with the suite of Microsoft services already in use by the organization.
4. OpenCV
Through a branch of artificial intelligence called computer vision, computing systems learn to identify and analyze static images and videos. This technology is now applied to help self-driving cars identify obstacles on the road, accurately diagnose medical conditions, and even identify old photos of your parents. Democratizing the use of computer vision for developers of all experience levels is an open-source library called OpenCV.
5. Neural networks
Part of the deep learning branch of artificial intelligence, neural networks are algorithms built to function like the neurological pathways of the brain. By mimicking the complex way humans learn, these algorithms can recognize patterns within complex datasets and generate independent insights on the data.
6. LPIC – Linux Certification
Year after year, Linux, an open-source operating system based on the Unix operating system, takes top honors for the most commonly used platform and most loved platform categories in Stack Overflow’s developer survey. It’s estimated that 16,000 developers have contributed to the Linux kernel since 2005 and the OS can be found on 96% of the world’s top one million web servers. Linux doesn’t show any signs of losing popularity in the coming decade, so companies want to ensure their teams can properly administer and maintain their internal Linux instances.
7. Ethereum
Ethereum is an open-source, decentralized software platform based on blockchain technology. While Ethereum does have a cryptocurrency, Ether, developers are creating applications that run on Ethereum because they know it will run as programmed without downtime, censorship, fraud, or other third-party interference.
8. Splunk
From servers to IoT sensors to syslogs, a staggering amount of the data companies process is machine-generated rather than human-generated. Monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on this high volume of data is a challenge for even the most skilled IT teams, which is where Splunk, becomes an important tool.
9. QGIS
Quantum geographic information system (QGIS) is a term many professionals aren’t familiar with, but it’s a skill with increasing use in the age of mobile-first and Wi-Fi-equipped devices. QGIS is a type of GIS software that stores geospatial data — data with a geographic component such as map coordinates. Spatial data can be found everywhere from Google Earth to satellite data to your GPS-connected fitness tracker.
10. Kotlin
In the top five of developers’ most loved languages is Kotlin, a programming language used for Android development. Because it’s a language for the Java Virtual Machine, Kotlin can be used anywhere Java is also used. Google even made Kotlin an official language of Android apps.
