Upskilling for the Future
Experts agree that upskilling is urgent, but the question for employees is where to start. There are several ways to do so to future proof yourself. Disruptions such as automations will cause some jobs to become obsolete. To protect yourself, you’ll have to learn new things. The World Economic Forum states that upskilling is crucial and could boost the global GDP by $6 trillion and create over 5 million new jobs by 2030. The workplace is changing and will require new skills so finding the resources to help is crucial.
Workers want to be more effective and stay relevant and competitive. LinkedIn data show that skill sets have changed by 25% or so since 2015. Upskilling can mean filling in some skills like learning more about Excel to be better at building budgets. Besides helping to stay employed it can also lead to a better raise. It can include hard skills such as certain software or design skills or soft skills such as better listening or improving how one gives feedback or working closely with others in a team.
Upskilling won’t look the same for everyone because skillsets are your own. You should be aware of general trends in your sector of the economy. Step back and take a broader view so you can stay ahead. Some employers help with in-house training, but there are easy and free education videos on YouTube. Some on-line courses such as MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses), SkillShare, or LinkedIn learning are free or low-cost. Be aware of the future of your job as some will be replaced over the years so some employees will need more than upskilling, they’ll need to reskill. If your employer does not have a program, look at local schools and government agencies.
Making sure you stay up to date will show your employer you are more valuable and willing to learn new things. You might even find a new passion you did not know you had. Worker engagement is at the lowest number in a decade according to a recent Gallup poll. Besides being fun, having a growth mindset makes the journey to learn something new more exciting. Being engaged in your work will help you and help your employer.
The need to do this is not going away. In fact, there will be more urgency to keep up if you want to keep your job or find a better one.
A summary of an article in BBC by Bryan Lufkin, April 2022