Upskilling and Reskilling
October 1, 2022
Upskilling and reskilling are ways that organizations train and educate both employees and leadership. They keep an organization competitive, its people engaged and feeling valued, and the trajectory for all stakeholders an upward one.
Upskilling is training employees in their current position, for instance, to master new technologies in an ever-changing digital landscape.
Reskilling is training employees to do a different job within an organization.
Upskilling and reskilling have become more important because of something called the skills gap, that is, the wide gap between available positions and people with the skills to fill them.
Most people have the desire to learn, progress, and better themselves, and giving them the opportunity to upskill or reskill makes that possible. But many people don’t know what skills they actually need to take on more responsibility, get a promotion, or successfully transition to a different job. When an organization communicates openly about skills deficits, job requirements, and training opportunities, employees better understand how to proceed in order to move ahead.
HR can facilitate upskilling and reskilling by:
- Evaluating skills needs and deficits within their organization
- Setting goals to meet organization needs
- Providing at-work training time for employees to improve their skills or gain new ones
- Developing mentorship programs
- Using micro-learning to help employees grasp new concepts more quickly
An upskilled and reskilled workforce provides significant competitive benefits for organizations, and many personal benefits for employees as well. HR can lead the way.