Explore KSACs by Pathway
Explore Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Credentials (KSACs) by IT Pathway.
In late 2025, the Partnership pulled together members of industry from across tech to share how the in-demand skillsets for entry-level roles in their fields have changed in the last two years. The KSACs below reflect their feedback on entry-level expectations, especially in a tech workplace increasingly shaped by AI.
Previously two separate KSA lists, Data Management and Analytics have been combined as of 2026. This is in direct response to feedback from members of industry, who shared that with the onset of generative AI, most entry-level data roles will require literacy in skillsets across both of these two specializations.
2. Data Storage, Platforms, Operations, and Access
| Label | KSAC Description | Bloom's Taxonomy Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Explain the role of data storage systems in organizational decision-making | knowledge | 1 |
| b | Define key storage concepts including databases, data lakes, data warehouses, and lakehouses | knowledge | 2 |
| c | Differentiate structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data storage | knowledge | 3 |
| d | Describe on-premises, cloud, and multi-cloud environments and their use cases | knowledge | 2 |
| e | Explain how cloud platforms separate storage and compute and the implications of this separation for scalability, cost control, and analytics performance | knowledge | 3 |
| f | Describe how data architecture affects analytics performance | knowledge | 2 |
| g | Identify common DBMS platforms and their roles | knowledge | 2 |
| h | Explain database performance considerations and tuning concept | knowledge | 2 |
| i | Demonstrate the ability to access data using SQL or similar query interfaces to retrieve, filter, and aggregate data | skill | 3 |
| j | Modify and refine AI-generated queries for correctness, efficiency, and alignment with business logic | skill | 3 |
| k | Identify inefficient, incorrect, or risky query patterns produced by automation, such as unnecessary scans or unintended joins | ability | 4 |
Credentials
Vendor Certifications - DBMS
- Oracle Associate
- Microsoft
- IBM
Vendor Certifications - Cloud
- AWS
- Oracle
- Microsoft