Introduction
A Working Professional often forgets that time is a subjective matter. An hour’s work for somebody can be a day’s work for others. It is a tantrum of thoughts that will come in your career every now and then. This creates a lot of expectations for a person which can often be taxing.
Pardon me for I have expressed a few professional industries. Every job in the world is curated with craftsmanship. The person working in a profession is tailored by the seasons of experience which creates perfection over time. Nobody knows what will happen to us in the future. Life will play tricks on us to test our grit and resilience.
Understanding the Need to Upskill
Upskilling Meaning: What does it mean?
Upskilling: Why is it important?
Upskilling Market in India
Platforms for Upskilling
Understanding the Need to Upskill
We as an individual value our worth based on the values we provide to the world. A doctor saves lives. That is an important skill from any point of view. A lawyer works for justice. That is the pillar on which our society stands. A teacher imparts education to young minds. The profession is self-explanatory because knowledge shapes the mind and personalities of future generations.
A person is accountable to bring food to the table. There was a time when a family had one earning member. But as we spoke of Time, inflation and the high cost of living made multiple members of the family work to run a family. Of course, we should and must learn to be frugal. I will often go on a debate if somebody tells me otherwise that you do not need to be so conservative in my expenses.
One day you can have the best job in the world, where you love what you do. The other day, due to market conditions you can be laid off. With every month of not getting a salary or some fixed stable income, a family loses out thousands of dollars worth of financial freedom.
Business Outreach Magazine understands that the hurdles an individual has to face, makes the person feel lost. We can assure you one thing. No matter how competitive a job market is, upskilling in the workplace will take your income up through the roof. What do you have to do in return? Do not settle. Understand this clearly, our body and mind are very powerful. It has a plethora of spiritual energy which if taken positively, will constantly keep you motivated.
This motivation will make you stay updated with time and sculpt your skills according to it. I picked this up from a conference I was watching on Youtube, where the speaker was asking the audience to embrace change. The speaker was telling the audience to raise their hands who denounced social media in the earlier days. I noticed that there were a lot of hands.
Then he asked the audience to again raise the hands of those who have a social profile in today’s time. You will be surprised at the number of hands that validated the question of the speaker. It is imperative to accept that social media dictates our lives. Yes! It is our responsibility to use it in a productive way.
Upskilling employees often get retained by a company then others who are stuck with an outdated profile. Upskilling will always increase your income bracket significantly which would help you maintain your standard of living and in a way make you gain invaluable knowledge. There are millions of jobs out there in the market. It takes time and patience to get one.
But sometimes we are so engrossed in our everyday life that we forget the onset of automation. It is slowly creeping into our lives and can disrupt jobs. These jobs could have employed several thousand and helped the industry grow at a standard pace. But the application of automated systems has proven to be efficient and extremely productive for an industry.
Suddenly, the joke of robots taking over the world in the movie ‘Terminator’ peeps into your humor. These automated processes will replace you instantly once the system adapts to the job. They don’t need a job, nor do they need health benefits, or a pension and a salary. Sit back and think for some time about this shift that is happening.
Trials are being tested where eCommerce packages are delivered through aerial drones. Drones are not a myth but a reality that proves defense and surveillance can be easily operated through them. Times are not far from hooking a package into one of these and dropping them at a house. For the evolution of humanity, drones can be used to deliver medicine to regions more quickly than an on-road transport vehicle. In a heartbeat, these changes will transform into a habit.
And more industries will want to implement automated management. Take a deep breath and consider the reality that upskilling is the key to all these factors. Companies provide upskilling courses to their employees, where the working professional learns updated methods and gathers the expertise to analyze current situations.
Upskilling offers data which are shared among experts that teach skills, project fulfillment initiatives, and prospects of employment for employees that connect them with relevant jobs. Otherwise, digital-based jobs would have caused these employees to get laid off. A new job with upskilling is like venturing towards a new path. It might require you to change companies and take part in a 12-week training course. The most viable option would be to have a conversation with the program counselor and explain why you would need this training and how you would be benefited from the additional knowledge. It is probable that you will be accepted for the program.
Let’s start with a simple definition of What is Upskilling? or the meaning of Upskilling in general.
Upskilling: What does it mean?
Upskilling training programs are competitive. But the program counselor offers motivation and support throughout the process. Your dedication and confidence will take you a long way when you will discuss onboarding processes with the Human Resources team.
After this sort of program, there is a probationary period that allows the employee to settle down with their new roles. As the skills are updated, an employee often receives health benefits and several perks like a bonus for signing in and a retirement package. The working professional will feel valued and will drive him away from the possibility of being laid off. The world today is having a crisis in skills.
Automation is taking over a lot of opportunities which is threatening thousands of job seekers from around the world. Adults of the modern generation are finding it difficult to get themselves employed and senior professionals are witnessing an era where their jobs are getting obsolete.
In 2018, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimated that almost 46% of all jobs will come across changes. Statistics suggest that about 30% of graduates will not have the expertise or the skills to be employed for most jobs. Since the era is turning digital and the education system is relentlessly trying to adapt to the change, jobs in fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Automation-based jobs are getting vacant by the day and require talented professionals.
A severe gap is created between employees who are skilled and the workforce required to run the economy in the future. Upskilling is a term that expresses the enhancing capabilities of an employee that can be utilized to cope up with the challenges of the rapidly evolving economy. The initiative to upskill can take place in a community or in an industry.
Upskilling and retraining are completely different. Retraining is a type of short training course required for a small group to get a job done. Generally, there aren’t too many prospects with a retaining course. Upskilling, on the other hand, is broad, descriptive, and informative which transforms efforts into productive actions. The method of upskilling is not limited to theory but involves the opportunity to get a better job and be good at that. An employee will be fitted with skills and training which will be valuable for the future of the industry and the businesses needing these skills will have people who are equipped with the knowledge based on updated technology and joining the relevant elements to bring profits to the job. For an individual who has awareness of recent times and is employed in a company that works independently, upskilling might sound expensive. But the journey is totally worth it since it opens the door to more opportunities that promise better standards of life, impressive pay packages, and protection by the skills to avoid being laid off due to automation.
Today, CEOs and top executives of companies consider upskilling programs to be invaluable. Companies are facing immense shortages of skilled labor and to address such scenarios, an upskilling workforce is considered the most feasible option. The process suggests that upskilling courses are being conducted at a community level. This is where economies thrive at a rapid scale, a variety of opportunities appear for working professionals and the government gets the platform to promote prosperity among the public. These initiatives are a unified approach from non-profit groups, the government, and several businesses that find new ways to make these upskilling courses engaging and interactive. The idea of tackling the winds of time is not a one-time phenomenon. Upskilling is required from CEOs and top-level executives to employees to join forces together and prepare themselves with the relevant skills. The usage of apps can be a very good way to make the process of upskilling efficient and provide new software and tools for use for every employee.
The idea does not only rely heavily on technology. A recruitment team should consider a candidate’s soft skills and the willingness to grasp updated knowledge as a part of the profiling criteria. In this way, a workforce with passion and a curiosity to learn new methods will take the company a long way.
An upskilling program costs around $ 25,000 for an individual. This is daunting when considering the huge expense. But this generally involves professionals from the technology-based industries. For other jobs, the cost usually comes down to $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 for an employee. The expense is just a single element. To evolve an individual with a new set of skills requires time. For example, if a mid level accountant gets to become a data analyst or an expert in cyber security, that would take 9 to 10 weeks of training. This is a period when the individual should be supported by the company with financial aid and motivation. It would be ethical for the company to secure funds for upskilled employees to value their efforts and time.
It is important for the company to understand that if employees are not trained for upskilling, there are several costs that have to be incurred by the company. This includes severance packages for workers who are being laid off and also involves the insurmountable amount of time invested to recruiting candidates with the desired skill sets. An upskilling program is not required to be applied to the entire company all at once. It is calculated that annually, 10% of the workforce is needed to be upskilled. If a systematic method is applied by a company to undergo upskilling programs for its employees, words will be out in the street. These will garner a lot of attention about the ethical standards of the company and more talented candidates will want to join the team. The consistency of the process will lead to the development of employees and the overall profits will increase. The upskilling pathways are efficient for communities in a broader sense. If an employee is doing a job that has no connection with his skill set, a country’s GDP gets affected. The revenues derived from taxes and the societal standards of lifestyles get hampered. If an amount of money is served as an investment towards upskilling, then analysis states that it will bring 2x as returns. There is a system of skills insurance which is basically a collection of contributions given by the employees. Companies and industries which take part in this plan get incentives in taxes. A worker should be considered an asset by a company which will in return be taken as someone who is worthy of a well-structured upskilling course. The idea to move forward with an upskilling course is a move made by visionaries and leaders who consider long-term profits are correlated with it. The sustenance of the economy of a country depends on such programs in a time where the digital economy is starting to shape the ways of the world. Countries like India, United States, Ireland, Singapore, Denmark and several others have initiated such upskilling imperative practices and have shown significant positive conclusions. Companies are starting to accept flexible approaches in training their employees to make them future-proof. Apps and software are shared across the workforce to provide them the space for participating seamlessly in these initiatives. It is accepted by the companies that employees might shift to different companies in the future. But that should not stop them from training the workforce with the right skills. Such methods of practices and training will ensure that employees get to retain their designation while changing companies. This is because now they have the relevant expertise and skills to offer to their new roles. The employees who are making an effort to train themselves, the companies helping them and the recruitment process adapting to new methods of time has a value in itself and means something for the greater good of an economy. India has the National Skills Development Corporation which was founded in 2009. This organization provides upskilling training programs and job postings and hugely encourages women to venture in their entrepreneurial journey. The United Kingdom has built Sheffield Skills Bank which has funding from the European Union, Business Investment Fund and local government support to promote jobs and strengthen the economy.
Upskilling: Why is it important?
Upskilling may start region wise through government support or by a company. For example, an automobile company has developed an upskilling program for workers in the assembly division and has the probability to get laid off. There are common elements to every project that includes a mindset to learn, providing enough support for the workers to adapt to the changes and a decent time span for the program to get completed successfully. Usually, about 18 months is required to complete the first phase of training. There are a few boxes to be checked while performing the upskilling program. The senior-level executives and CEOs of companies should have a mindset that is aligned with the vision of such projects. The idea to invest in the workforce for a program that will allow them to shift roles should be highly encouraged by the top officials of a company. Government support is crucial for any steps toward ensuring the well-being of a country’s economy.
The academic institutions providing such upskilling courses should value the efforts and challenges of working professionals. It is important to figure out the companies that need fresh talents with such skills. The labor unions should forward their support for the initiatives being taken by the employees and the companies. Communication is the key. Following up with the benefactors by the management team is important for the smooth working of the upskilling project. Facts and quantitative figures will act as credentials for the rate of success of the upskilling project. For example, the retention rate should grow by 70% for a company and a region should provide at least 15% of its companies with a training program. Non-factual figures like the motivation and interest rate of the candidates should be taken into account. This will happen by showing the employees fact and data about how the program will equip them with the correct skills to avoid losing jobs due to automation or what kind of job prospects they get after successfully completing the program.
Designing a well-planned structure is needed for an upskilling course. The sectors challenged by automation should be identified and new skills required to tackle it should be pushed for the course. Training modules should be modified based on the requirement of the industry. Maybe introducing modules on technological aspects of robotics, energy and raw material will amplify the importance of the project. The local Human Resources division should supervise these steps and ensure equality in gender, ethnicity, and an inclusive working environment. Role models should be appointed to promote the idea of learning new skills to combat unemployment from automation. Sometimes approaching an employee personally brings a great deal of help. The professional aspirations of the employee should be understood by the management team to better lead the person for success. This will help an individual under the upskilling program gain some confidence and they will come out of their comfort zone to achieve new possibilities. Each individual is required to have a personalized plan for connecting it with skills required from an industry.
A working professional should always be given time to learn these new skills at their own pace. ‘CompteActivite’ is a French upskilling project encouraged by President Emmanuel Macron, where self control of the modules is the USP. In the year 2018, a law was passed by the French government that workers will have a training funds account. Here an amount between 5000 to 9000 pounds will be provided by companies to workers over a period of 10 years. Under this initiative, certified training institutes and providers will collaborate with companies which will allow employees to learn new and updated skills as per their time. The IT systems should be utilized to find talents to fill the gaps in skills between the job roles and a candidate. Artificial intelligence should be brought to work to find suitable talents from a pool. Finding a candidate for a position which is usually difficult to fill gets sorted out with the help of artificial intelligence.
Coaching and mentoring the workers in the right way can be a valuable input. The supervisors should promote transparency and encourage the workers to seek support if they feel they need it. Individuals who are provided with personalized career support can make them energetic to venture towards this new goal. One of the prime aspects of software provided to the workers must ensure the privacy of their personal information. This will be effective regarding the grit while executing an action for the upskilling program by the employees.
A formal letter of approval further accelerates the trust between the employee and the training program. The letter should portray the steps of the program and a contract of the new job with the future employer. The training institute should be well equipped according to the urgency of the upskilling course. The curriculum provided must include the necessary tools to learn technology-focused training in automation, artificial intelligence, data analysis, smart warehousing, and many more. These training centers must have a track record that suggests job placements and has some recognition in the market. The success of this entire journey depends on the correct monitoring of results.
An efficient HR tool that keeps records of hundreds of workers will prove useful and provide a proper digitized profile of each candidate and their pace of progress. The team handling communications should promote testimonials of employees and share their success stories to social media. This will add value to the efficacy of the project and more candidates will enroll in the upskilling course. Peer communications through a common platform will uplift social interaction and support among the workers.
Upskilling Market in India
On January 16th, the Indian Government dedicated the day as ‘National Startup Day’ which honors the contribution of startups to the economy of the country. Over the last few years, startups are significantly rising in the country and adding their fair share of selfless support towards development and growth. About 400 million people have benefited from employment opportunities due to this evolution. In the year 2021, about 44 startups enlisted themselves and it is expected that about 22 startups will come forward in 2022. The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of companies like Zomato, Nykaa, and many more paved the pathways for good news. With all these companies emerging for a new India, the workforce of India is required to upskill themselves.
Technology and automation is surely driving a new channel of growth and a report by Gartner suggests that about 60% of top-level executives and CEOs are wanting employees with skills that can ensure the future of their companies. The World Economic Forum suggests that 40% of the workforce is required to upskill for a period of six months to stay updated with the evolving time. Companies have also started to hire employees whose skills and mindset precede their college and university degrees. Keeping this shift, the tier-1 institutions of India have curated programs based on executive needs that will promote learning and growth. E-learning is having rapid growth and the online platforms of education will have grown by $ 228 billion in the next few years. The whole idea of the method is to create flexible courses for professionals to work while they study. Skills like cloud computing, Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, and full-stack development are high in demand. Soft skills like communication techniques and leadership capabilities are also encouraged to possess for a worker. This will help employees in a critical approach to their profession.
Platforms for Upskilling – Enhancing Your Future Skills
upGrad:
upGrad is one of the best online platforms for upskilling courses from entrepreneurship, data analytics, digital marketing, project handling methods, and many more. upGrad not only offers updated news from the industry and supports students but also comes with job placements on successfully completing the course. There are certifications that cost Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2,00,000.
Coursera:
Coursera offers a flexible range of courses in several subjects like data engineering, medicine, art, photography, and several others. There are about150 or more colleges partnered with Coursera to offer quality upskilling training. Coursera has a subscription of about $ 49 per month. Visitors can watch videos in the app for free. But there will not be any certification provided for that.
Google Digital Garage:
Google Digital Garage is an online space for learning courses on digital marketing in IT, jobs in network engineering, etc. Google offers free certification in fields like cyber security, google cloud, python, cybersecurity and so many others.
LinkedIn Learning:
LinkedIn is an online platform for working professionals to interact with one another and share valuable thoughts. The site also allows professionals to find jobs and apply through the platform. The premium service offers more features for professionals in their job searching journey.
Skillshare:
Skillshare is a popular online learning platform for individuals to find their desired interests from about 25,000 courses that include content in video editing, photography, cooking, marketing, music and instrument learning, and many more.
We are at the end and hoping that this article could draw some interest and provide value to your time. We can never expect time to go as per our plans. But what we can do is to be prepared for challenges and make ourselves fit to adopt new techniques and skills which will indeed help in our professional and personal growth.
Also, Check
UpSkilling Platforms in India
E-Learning Platforms in India
