How to Thrive in the Age of Upskilling

Closing skills gaps together

The World Economic Forum calls the 2020s “a decade of upskilling.” In a survey by Deloitte, 73% of respondents said that organizations are responsible for developing their workforce. And according to a study by Amazon, 74% of Millennial and Gen Z employees said they’d quit their jobs in the next year due to a lack of opportunities for skill building or career growth.

For today’s global workforce, workplace learning isn’t just a benefit—it’s an expectation. And by the same token, employers want to hire workers whose value will only increase with time. For both employers and employees, investing in upskilling is critical to achieve long-term growth. 

In this post, we’ll cover the strategies employers can use to build a standout upskilling program, and the benefits upskilling offers for both organizations and employees. For more strategies on closing skills gaps at work, check out our e-book on science-based learning.

What is upskilling?

Upskilling is when an employee learns advanced skills that are relevant to their current role. For example, a social media strategist might upskill by completing an advanced content marketing certification. These expanded skills allow the employee to perform their job at a higher level, adding value to the organization.

Typically, upskilling is achieved through additional training or experience. While employees can individually seek out upskilling opportunities on their own outside of work, upskilling programs are most effective when they are facilitated by employers, as this helps build the value of skill-building into the company culture. 

Upskilling and reskilling: What’s the difference?

Both upskilling and reskilling training programs are useful and pertain to employee skill building. However, while upskilling involves skill building around an employee’s current skills and role, reskilling involves building new skills around a different role. For example, if a marketing writer participated in training to develop their coding skills, this would qualify as reskilling. Reskilling can be a valuable opportunity for employees to grow laterally, expand the current functions of their role, and even facilitate a job change. Both reskilling and upskilling can contribute to a more well-rounded, efficient organization.

The benefits of upskilling

Upskilling doesn’t just benefit company leadership or the individual worker—it helps both parties achieve new opportunities and goals. Let’s dive into the benefits for each group.

Why organizations need to upskill

By investing in a solid upskilling strategy, organizations can reduce company-wide skill gaps, improving the strength of entire teams. This can result in more efficient, accurate work without having to take on additional hiring costs.

Upskilling programs can also have an extremely positive impact on company morale, leading to increased employee engagement, satisfaction, and even retention. Many employees find deep meaning in the opportunity for skill building, and are more likely to stick with a company long-term that values them in this way.

Why employees should upskill

Upskilling initiatives can be invaluable for an individual’s professional growth. In today’s increasingly competitive job market, having a deep skill set within their current role can offer employees peace of mind for job security, even when considering a different job or company. It can also help them advance along their career path in their current role, paving the way for promotions, pay raises, increased responsibility, and other career goals.

When employees choose to invest in their own growth, this can bring deeper levels of meaning to the work that they do. They may find that they enjoy their work more and get more out of it—beyond the paycheck—when they have access to upskilling training.

4 key components of an employee upskilling program

While an upskilling program will vary based on a company’s products, industry, target audience, employee base, and more, these four strategies are a great place to start. 

1. Invest in the right tools 

Online learning and upskilling go hand in hand, as e-learning’s flexibility empowers employees to fit their training into their schedules and enables them to work at their own pace. Whether your company uses off-the-shelf courses or builds its own customized courses, it’s key to invest in the right tools and technologies. Course authoring tools allow you to create content, while course distribution tools (like a learning management system) allow you to share it with your learning audience. 

When choosing e-learning software for your business, consider its interactivity, efficiency, and accessibility. By choosing solutions that excel in these categories, you can ensure your upskilling efforts are set up to grow with your employees and overall organization.

2. Build a culture of learning

Demonstrate that your organization cares deeply about employee growth by emphasizing learning and development in your company culture. Set up opportunities, both formal and informal, for employees to seek out additional training and knowledge.

When it comes to company culture, your current employees are your strongest assets. You can set up mentorship programs that allow different team members to learn from each other to supplement any formal courses an employee might take. For example, a local community college might offer mentorship opportunities between professors and teaching assistants. 

Think about ways you can make it easier for your employees to learn, or even incentivize them to learn. For example, managers can encourage their direct reports to make time for their learning during work hours to avoid taking their training home with them. 

3. Train on technical skills

Even for roles that are not traditionally considered technical, digital skills are becoming more and more crucial. Don’t let your employees get left behind—allow them to hone technical skills specific to their unique area of expertise. 

4. Don’t forget soft skills

“Soft skills” like communication, adaptability, and leadership skills are some of the most important traits for any employee, but particularly those in a management position. Make sure your company leaders are set up for success in these upskilling areas to improve collaboration, increase job satisfaction, and help your entire organization thrive.

Grow together and reduce the skills gap with upskilling training programs

By investing in an upskilling strategy, your organization shows employees that you care about their growth and development—and are willing to back up those values with tangible action. In the end, everyone benefits. Your organization can tap into increased productivity, efficiency, and morale, while individuals can gain job security, pay increases, and satisfaction.

Looking for more information on workplace training? Check out our guide: Close Skills Gaps with Science-Based Learning.