If You’re Falling Behind on Tech Trends, This Digital Skills Education Company Will Catch You Up

Lets Talk About The Tech Skills Gap

TL; DR: Ever heard of the phrase “Blink and you might miss it”? That’s how fast tech is moving. If your organization is one of the thousands struggling to keep up, Academy Xi has your back. We talked with the progressive technology and education company Academy Xi’s CXO, Amir Ansari, about their workshops and courses on everything from AI and cybersecurity to human-centered design and development.

Is it just me, or do some tech trends seem to blow up overnight? Take AI, for example: One minute, your average Joe has never heard of it, and the next, he’s using it daily at work.

With 90% of the world’s data created in just the last two years and processing speeds doubling every few years, it’s a “blink and you’ll miss it” landscape.

Academy Xi, a digital skills technology and education company, understands this more than most. Founded in 2016, the Australian-based company aims to bridge that knowledge gap.

Academy Xi Homepage
Academy Xi is a platform for businesses that want to improve their teams’ tech skills with custom-made courses and workshops.

Just ask Amir Ansari, CXO and Head of Applied AI, who said: “Technology is moving really quickly, and we need to be able to fill that void. Our mission is to transform the world through education and empower a community of changemakers with the skills to create waves of change.”

Bridging the Gap

In mathematics, x is a common variable that represents a problem that needs to be solved, and i stands for the personal responsibility and power to solve the problem.

“Together, Xi reflects our commitment not only to identify challenges in the world but also being part of the solution.” Amir explained.

It’s a bold mission. Of course, there are plenty of upskilling companies aiming to do the same, and some are even free. But, as Amir points out, those platforms (like YouTube, for example) don’t really compare to Academy Xi.

“It’s just that — a video,” he emphasized. “You have to connect the theory to practice and figure it out on your own. But if you bring in a subject matter expert, it’s the stories and context that wrap around the theory.”

On the other end of the spectrum are corporate consultancies, charging six-figure fees for a single workshop. That’s not always a viable option for a company, especially a growing one.

“We’re in that sweet spot where we’re affordable, but our content is curated and up to date,” Amir explained. “It can be tailored to clients’ needs without the high cost.”

Academy Xi’s pricing varies based on the service, whether it’s a one-time workshop for a small team or a larger course that supports hundreds of learners.

And the results speak for themselves: With a 93% retention rate, Academy Xi is trusted by major brands including Bupa, the Sydney Opera House, Datacom, and AMP.

What’s Most In Demand?

One of the best things about Academy Xi is its versatility: You can choose from short workshops to in-depth courses (online or on-site).

Now, a workshop and course sound pretty similar, but before you go booking with Academy XI, make sure you know which one you need.

Workshops are designed to be shorter. They’re also more interactive — you’ll get to engage in activities and discussions — to develop a particular skill with group-based, hands-on exercises.

Courses, on the other hand, are longer and can span several weeks or months. Most of Academy Xi’s courses are around 10 weeks long and may be self-paced or include industry experts as tutors and facilitators. Since they’re more in-depth, they’re also more structured: You’ll get readings, assignments, quizzes, and even assessments to submit.

Here’s a closer look at Academy Xi’s services:

  • Workshops
    • Open Workshops: The goal of open workshops is introductory and to build awareness of specific topics. They are 2-3 hour online sessions open to the public, focusing on key emerging areas, such as cybersecurity, AI, and other in-demand courses, and allow up to 20 learners.
    • Closed Workshops: These customized workshops are great for building a better understanding of a certain topic for individual clients. Choose from one-day workshops (or two half-day workshops) and get ready for an engaging and interactive program. Closed workshops can also be delivered online, on-site, or on campus.
    • Bespoke Programs: These are tailored to client needs and learning outcomes and often run across weeks, with various different delivery modes, including masterclasses, workshops, and self-paced content.
  • Courses
    • Elevate (Upskill Courses): Gain more knowledge with 10-week, part-time courses all at your own pace. Choose from Academy Xi’s prebuilt courses, including Design Thinking, Service Design, Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Customer Experience, and Product Management, just to name a few.
    • Transform (Reskill Courses): Need a skill refresher or a career transition? We’ve all been there. Transform courses are longer (students can complete them from 3-12 months depending on the pace they choose) with a much higher level of student-focused support and mentoring from expert instructors. You’ll also get to create your own live project!
  • Consulting Solutions: If you don’t know where to start — but you know you need to start somewhere — then get in touch with Academy Xi experts directly for a consultation. They understand the most common challenge is turning ideas into actionable incomes, so walk through your goals with Academy Xi experts to define projects and develop plans for your team.

“Our courses and workshops are curated, current, up to date, delivered by professionals who already work in the industry,” Amir said. “We are constantly adapting and changing the material to stay agile with industry trends.”

He also said some of the most in-demand topics are cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, and user experience/design (but there’s a lot more where this came from, so be sure to check it all out):

  • Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity Fundamentals, Cybersecurity for Leaders, Detecting Cyberthreats with AI
  • Data & AI: AI Awareness, AI Fundamentals, Data Analytics, Data Visualization
  • Design: Customer Journey Mapping, Customer Experience, UX/UI, Human-Centered Design

Amir noted human-centered design is “the staple” for Academy Xi.

“It was our very first course because our founders were human-centered design practitioners and design thinkers,” Amir said. “Organizations need to understand what design thinking is and how it can help them solve not just design problems — but really tough, gnarly business, operational, and growth challenges.”

I’ve personally lost count of how many websites I’ve come across that made me cringe because of their poor design and user experience. Common issues like cluttered layouts, bad mobile responsiveness, and missing key information for first-time visitors stand out.

To me, these seem like obvious problems because I write for HostingAdvice, but for many, it’s not so straightforward. Whether it’s web design, AI, data analysis, or other tech skills, staying on top of these trends was crucial yesterday.

“These four topics are definitely at the top,” Amir noted, adding, “And a lot of that demand is triggered by the lack of data literacy and the growing need to solve increasingly complex problems.”

Academy Xi learning types
Choose from workshops and courses, or create your own curriculum on just about anything tech- and AI-related.

With that said, Academy Xi offers multiple delivery modes to better customize the learning experience. (Because let’s be honest: We don’t all learn the same.)

Amir said enterprise clients typically opt for workshops — single or multi-day setups — or courses, which we talked about earlier.

But Academy Xi also uses a state-of-the-art learning management system (LMS), which Amir said is best for those who prefer a self-paced learning approach.

“If they prefer to be self-paced, we say, ‘Great! Instead of a workshop, here’s our LMS,’” said Amir with contagious enthusiasm. “Their staff can onboard through self-service and learn at their own pace. When they finish, we assess the final submissions and issue certificates. It offers our clients lots of flexibility, which is great.”

Future-Proofing Tech Skills

Staying up-to-date in the tech world is like staying viral on TikTok.

Sure, it’s possible — but it’s not easy. That’s why Academy Xi’s agenda is to keep tech skills completely future-proofed and stand the test of time.

Amir said the company wants to do this by expanding beyond traditional education (i.e., workshops and training). One of the newest things it’s done is launch the AI Futures Academy.

As a subsidiary of Academy Xi, the goal is to use AI technologies to help businesses transform in ways they never knew they could with AI career coaching, sales coaching, web agents, workshops, and other in demand AI topics.

For example, their AI-based careers coach helps students review their job applications, cover letters, resumes, and even practice interviews.

AI Futures Academy homepage
Check out AI Futures Academy here.

“The content is already out there — and AI bots will only continue to create more content, which yes, does compete with us,” Amir noted. “But what AI can’t do is consult, build technology, or help develop talent.”

I love that.

There’s a lot of talk about AI “taking over our jobs,” and while I understand the concern to some extent, the fact is there are some things it just can’t replicate or replace. And that’s the human touch.

Speaking of the human touch, you can also get post-training consulting from Academy Xi’s Digital Transformation Academy if you have a product idea and need help developing and launching it.

So, let’s say a software startup with new hires approaches Academy Xi to train its employees in AI. After the training is completed, they want to build an AI-based application. Academy Xi guides them through the entire journey, from strategy development and implementation to cybersecurity and customer engagement.

Whether it’s the talent acquisition or the pro-bono partnerships with students, there is so much more that Academy Xi does to help propel its communities forward.

And, to be honest, it’s refreshing to see a company that truly cares about its mission and takes action to make that impact.

Whether you’re in Australia or somewhere else in the world, check out Academy Xi for your organization.