Upskilling is the process of teaching employees new skills that will help them in their work. It is development within the same position, gaining certificates, skills that allow you to build expertise in the field in which a person specializes. With the development of technology and the changing environment, the demands on work change. Upskilling allows you to fill this gap. Thanks to this, employees can be up to date with the latest news from the industry, which means that the company remains competitive on the market.

Upskilling has become a priority for many organizations. The best talents, regardless of the economic situation, will always be in demand and will quickly find a job. Acquiring such people is therefore still a challenge. The alternative is to support existing employees in acquiring new, needed skills. Upskilling is important for a number of reasons:

• tasks in individual positions are changing faster than ever
• employees expect opportunities for development
• development translates into greater employee satisfaction
• can increase performance, morale and motivation
• helps the organization stay competitive
• employee turnover decreases
• the need for recruitment outside the organization decreases

Companies can help employees upskilling in many ways. Here are some tips on how to develop an effective upskilling strategy.

• identify knowledge gaps in the organization

Every company has strengths and weaknesses, also in terms of the knowledge it has in the organization. The first step to making upskilling effective is to identify deficiencies in specific skills. Ensure that your learning activities are aligned with your employees’ needs. If possible, reward their development, e.g. with promotion.

• think short and long term

Although it is worth being up to date with trends and using new technologies, try not to focus only on competences that can only be useful in the short term. Key skills should have long-term value. Find a balance between what you need „here and now” and what will bring value to your organization in the long run.

• create training programs

There is no universal way to upskilling that will work in every company. The key is to adapt the training, employee development plan to the capabilities of the organization. Some companies help to acquire new skills through meetings with internal trainers, others cooperate with external educational institutions, some train individually, others prefer to work in a group. Match the plan to the resources at your disposal.

• get to know the goals of employees

Upskilling is about closing skill gaps. These gaps, depending on the person, can be different. The needs of employees in terms of improving their qualifications depend on their current skills, role in the organization, requirements, including technological ones, necessary for the proper performance of duties. It is worth involving the management staff in frequent, individual conversations with employees to better understand their needs.

Source: http://blog.randstad.pl/czym-jest-upskilling-i-jak-mozesz-pomoc-w-tym-pracownikom

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.