UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING

With reference to the ever-evolving nature of the world of work, everyone who intends to survive, strive to succeed, and be excellent in their chosen career must always be informed of their industry and by extension the general work ecosystem to stay relevant. And two of the crucial things every employee will encounter in their career is either to upskill or reskill. This applies to every level of employment from new entrants, to executive roles. We will be looking into each of these areas and share how we can make the most of them to enhance our productivity as employees, unemployed at the distant end students.

UPSKILLING

Upskilling refers to the proactive acquisition of new knowledge or enhancing skills that relate to an employee’s current role, with the goal of "leveling up" one's skills to retain a role or prepare for future career opportunities either internally or externally.

It involves intentionally gaining exposure to deeper knowledge through certifications, mentorship programs, or other intentional learning processes. Upskilling can help individuals progress toward their goals, remain competitive in the job market, qualify for promotions, secure new jobs, earn higher salaries, and continue self-improvement till actualization is attained.

Companies that invest in upskilling their employees tend to see better employee engagement, greater retention rates, and reduced recruitment costs. Upskilling can be done through various means, such as taking relevant academic and professional courses, earning certificates, working on projects, and finding mentors, among others.

 

WHY UPSKILLING IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE EMPLOYEE

• Staying Competitive. At every redundancy season in business, it’s those who are most productive in their roles that get to stay. Excelling employees don’t get replaced when outsiders come in, they keep their roles and rather climb higher. Stay current and ahead of your trade.

• Reducing Skill Gaps. No matter the industry you work, it is very important to level up in your skills because day in and day out, new trends and modern ways of executing tasks emerge so upskilling is the only way to breach the capacity and capability gap in your career.

• Enhanced Job Security. Employees can secure their jobs when they acquire more knowledge and expertise in their fields of work and upskilling is the only remedy. Only the best is hired and retained so decide to be the best.

• Higher Earning Potential. By upskilling, an individual opens up him/herself for greater earnings. The higher your worth to the business, the higher your wealth. An employer will give you a raise only when he realizes your 8-5 raises the balance.

• Greater Job Satisfaction. Through gaining knowledge and skills, job satisfaction is guaranteed. Your ability to get the job done well according to and beyond expectations will bring you contentment and a high sense of self-worth.

MEANS BY WHICH ONE CAN UPSKILL

• Taking Academic Courses (Top-ups, second or 3rd degrees). There are various academic programs in mainstream academia and other accredited programs in various areas. Consider the best program that suits your work schedule and sign up.

• Professional Courses. Besides the academic courses, more on-demand now are professional programs. These provide employees the practical touch to their knowledge and often allow them to become members of professional and regulatory bodies.

• Active Mentorship and Coaching Programs. Career coaching is a personalized approach to learning and development that provides guidance and support to workers in their professional growth goals and helps them identify and close skill gaps.

• Hands-On Learning. Plan to participate in internally and externally organized workshops on specific skills you need to improve upon and master. Ensure such events are very practical enough to get the best of your time and resources.

• Soft Skills Training. Soft skills such as communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence are increasingly in demand in the workplace. Taking such pieces of training will only enhance your efficiency on the job and increase your productivity.

• Upward Networking. Decide on which associations or fellowships to join. Get into the circles of senior professionals ahead of you in your chosen career so you can actively and directly learn from them as you climb higher. 

• Staying Disciplined. Change is not an easy thing to embark on, especially when you want to become better at what you do. Over and above your feelings you must develop the grit for the demands of adding value to your good self.

 

RESKILLING

Reskilling refers to the process of acquiring new skills to perform a completely different job or function within an organization or for personal projects when certain roadblocks emerge. It enables employers to retain exceptional employees even if their original job or department no longer exists due to technological advancements or shifting business priorities. Reskilling can lead to employees being trained for alternative in-demand jobs with similar interpersonal skill requirements. It is one of the means of reinventing one’s self into a solution to a problem. Some examples include transitioning from marketing personnel to SEO specialists or training administrative assistants to become project coordinators.

One needs to develop a strong sense of adaptability and have a strong willingness to learn in order to succeed at reskilling. Some transitions will render the academic training one has had to be obsolete, and years of experience in a specific role not useful among others. There is a great need for mental, psychological, and emotional preparation for all who plan to reskill.

 

AT WHAT POINT DOES RESKILLING BECOME CRUCIAL.

• Job Loss. In a situation where a business is not making profits even though various measures have been put in place to ensure productivity, employers decide to lay off workers. Employees whose skills are not deep become victims in such cases.

• Job Insecurity. There is the fear of job loss when an employee lacks the required skills to secure a position in an organization.

• Dying Industry Trends. When old industry structures are dying out, the employee needs to acquire knowledge in the trendy or growing space in order to stay employed.

• Major Change in Health. There are some health challenges that alter our physical abilities to perform certain tasks. Divergence into other feasible jobs you have the potential for is the way to go should you be hit.

• Means for Economic Survival. After a long search for employment in your trained field and having nothing to help you keep your heads up, you want to get trained for any available job be it short-term or casual in order to keep body and soul together.

 

STEPS TO RESKILLING

• A good PESTEL Analysis of your industry. The Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors determine what happens to any industry – growth or decline. A good analysis will let you know ahead of time where to move to.

• Personal SWOT analysis. Find your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats so far as work is concerned so you decide right, where your abilities can sell.

• Short or Long Academic Programs. In choosing the program to enroll for new training, you will want to consider what works best for you considering your availability and finances.

• Short Paid/Free Online Courses. These are other avenues for training for a new job. The internet is replete with several websites and applications for skills development.

• The YouTube University. Decide to use the platform to train and acquire good skills for almost any area you desire to enter. Determine your data will give you value and stay disciplined to achieve.

• Apprenticeships. Get to talk with someone already in your desired space and go learn from them as a beginner, this will allow you to learn practically and apply all you are learning privately.

• Networking with Players in your desired field. Decide who, when, where, and how to spend your time. Be deliberate about engaging the right people on where you want to go.

• Coaching and Mentorship. Engage the best in the area you choose to go to and serve to learn what they have built for themselves over their lifetime. 

• The place of Discipline. It is not enough to desire a better experience, your ability to stay focused and diligent with all the above will determine your success. 

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS ALIGN?

One might think upskilling and reskilling have nothing to do with an individual who is being impacted with knowledge in an academic institution but let us see where it affects them. In times past, students pursued academic programs of their choice and easily got employed after school, now, the size of students churned out of the tertiary institutions in Ghana and in many other countries every year is astronomical and only about 10% of these numbers secure a job within one year of graduation. The greatest number struggle through unemployment for several reasons. First, because the number of jobs available is woefully inadequate in comparison with the graduates, secondly, the greater portion of skills these students have acquired from school do not meet the skills for the few jobs available.

This is why high school graduates planning to enter any tertiary institution must make such decisions on the back of strong research on the job market. Students who are approaching their final year can still choose their majors from what data reveals about the job market. Some data-driven institutions can be consulted for such assistance. (We are available for such services). This is a great cue to avoid many years of unemployment and its accompanying woes.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR STUDENTS

1.       Conduct good job market research ahead of choosing your tertiary program

2.       Align your academic inclination to a viable job field.

3.       Join career groups for coaching.

4.       Take up internship roles in the career you desire.

5.       Attend seminars and Webinars on your career prospects.

We now live in an information-driven world and so anyone in the business space must be appressed and armed with what is current so much as it relates to their line of business. Do subscribe to credible business news portals or channels to stay informed. Do make an appointment with us every week for publications that will impact your work life.

 

Thursday 22^nd FEBRUARY, 2024

THE COLLEGE BUSINESS CONSULT

thecollegebc@gmail.com