Companies continue to undergo digital transformation initiatives, making it more critical to reskill and upskill the workforce. Expert...
Companies continue to undergo digital transformation initiatives, making it more critical to reskill and upskill the workforce. Experts believe that organizations need to assist employees in transitioning to innovative ways of doing things for digital transformation to be successful. Basically, upskilling focuses on helping professionals adapt their traditional skills and abilities to emerging technologies that underpin the digital transformation initiatives. Similarly, reskilling focuses on providing professionals with new skills.
A report by the Learning and Work Institute in partnership with Enginuity and WorldSkills UK claimed that 88% of young people think digital skills will be crucial for their future careers. Moreover, 62% said that they possess the fundamental digital skills hiring managers might need, like the ability to communicate digitally or use common software. However, only 18% of the respondents replied in affirmative when the question came to possessing more complex digital skills. This translates into the growing need for employers to work on their digital skills and be prepared for the future of the workforce.
Upskilling and reskilling initiatives can be taken by both employers and employees. Corporate training is what employers focus on, business leaders collaborate with an agency or an institution to conduct training sessions on-premises regarding the tools and methodologies to be used in a specific project. However, if your employers aren’t able to provide training for their employees for any reason, the latter have to act proactively and take charge of upskilling themselves. They can find a reliable training provider, enroll in the desired course, and achieve certification.
There are many ways employees can gain digital skills. There are self-paced training programs where pre-recorded video modules are provided to the candidates that can be followed at a convenient pace. The other learning mode is instructor-led training where candidates get access to live online classes via video conferencing and achieve the physical classroom-like experience. The best part is professionals don’t have to go anywhere to attend the classes. For example, if an individual is preparing for PMP certification in Boston, he can access the courses available online designed by Australian training providers.
When it comes to organizations, they should take a people-first approach when starting any upskilling program. They should always begin with why they are adopting digital transformation and then inform the employees about what tools and techniques they are planning to use. This will give an idea to the employees about what the technology is going to enable, how differently they can work, how digital skills can be applied, and what it would mean for their jobs. There should be transparency among employees regarding the need for digital skilling and how they can contribute their efforts towards achieving the digital transformation.
With the growing importance of digital skills, the number and types of L&D (Learning and Development) tools are also expanding. There are tools for learning in the flow of work, microlearning, collaborative learning, macro learning, language localization, and so on. These learning tools are expected to become more important in the years to come and companies will ensure that digital will absolutely be on the roadmap. L&D can turn to digital skills even to impart behavioral skills like how to be good leaders, managing changes, storytelling, agility, and influencing skills.
So, what are you waiting for? Some emerging fields like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, IoT, Blockchain, 5G technology, and cloud computing involve high demand for digital skills. Take an online course in any of them and reap the benefits of upskilling programs in the long run.
