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“Upskilling provides added benefits both to employers and employees,” notes one expert.
DEAR READERS: A recent report from Preply, an online language-learning platform, shows that many employees are turning to “upskilling” to learn new skills that they can use in their job search. And I’ve often heard from career-search pros that upskilling can be key to enhancing a resume. That made me wonder: Is it something most people should at least think about? And how can they decide which skills to acquire?
According to Daniele Saccardi, campaigns manager at Preply, upskilling is important for people to consider regardless of what level they’re at in their career.
“Upskilling provides added benefits both to employers and employees,” Saccardi explains. “From an employer perspective, upskilling employees can help improve retention, increase customer satisfaction, attract future employees and give current workers the essential skills they need for the organization to remain competitive.”
As Saccardi notes, a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that 60% of employees believe their current skill set will be outdated in the next three to five years.
“Upskilling ensures that employees have the skills they need to be successful as job demands evolve over time,” she adds.
To discover upskilling trends today, Preply analyzed Google Trends data focused on 50 different skills relevant to American workers. According to Saccardi, this is what the analysis found:
“Interest in improving interpersonal and management skills has grown by 34% in the past year,” the report says. “Similarly, with a 32% growth in interest, Americans want to improve their professional skills by learning basic business apps.”
If you’re interested in upskilling but don’t know where to start, Saccardi offers this advice:
“Pay attention to the skills needed within your job position or your industry,” she advises. “Where to learn them obviously depends on the skill itself, although there are many great options for those looking to upskill, ranging from traditional schools and mentorships, online learning platforms and also on-the-job training for your current job.”
As the job market continues to evolve, upskilling is becoming more important than ever, Saccardi adds.
“Changes in the job market and the nature of our individual jobs require all employees to learn and grow to be successful, especially in competitive industries,” she concludes.
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Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.
Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
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“Upskilling provides added benefits both to employers and employees,” notes one expert.
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