How to future-proof yourself through reskilling and upskilling
‘Do I need to upskill?’
It’s a question you may ask yourself when at a crossroads in your career. Or when offered a promotion or a change in position responsibilities. What many people don’t know though, is that the need to upskill has become a critical concern for employers all over the world.
John Wenborne, the Senior Account Director at LinkedIn, shared in a recent webinar at the University of Newcastle on the topic of upskilling, about these pressures. LinkedIn has a bit under a billion users and had done some number crunching on their user data.
Future trends in upskilling
But why this recent pressure to upskill? What’s behind it? Well, according to a 2021 report by the International Labour Organisation, it’s to do with the changing nature of the global workforce and the acceleration of these changes that has been caused by COVID. The report describes how over recent years new technology, globalisation, demographic shifts, climate change and migration have been causing a disruption to job markets. Learning and development within institutions and within businesses has been struggling to keep pace with these changing work demands. Consequently, there is a divide between the skills that people hold and the skills needed within today’s business environment.
Sonia Vilches-Montero, Master of Business Administration (MBA) Director at Newcastle Business School, believes that reskilling and upskilling has not only been a trend during COVID, but will continue to trend in a post-COVID world. A recent Deloitte report claims that the ‘half-life’ (or how long skills are relevant in the workforce) of learned skills is only about five years. That's not a lot of time when you consider that it may have taken you five years to acquire those skills. The upside though, is that with new technologies and flexible learning options emerging, it’s never been easier to upskill.
Plus, according to John Wenborne, upskilling “keeps people active and happy in their workplaces."
The world is rapidly changing. So, what can we do to keep pace with these changes?
- Decide if you need to upskill
The way we communicate today has changed drastically, even in the last five years. It’s a good idea to ask yourself: am I staying up to date and relevant within my industry? If the answer is no, it’s probably time for you to look at upskilling or reskilling.
It’s worthwhile also taking the time to consider how you will balance study with work and other commitments.
- Research different study options
Both short courses and longer forms of study have their place in the world of upskilling. A 6- or 12-month course can seem daunting but as Poorva Bhardwaj, Principal Customer Success Manager at LinkedIn, explained in a recent University of Newcastle webinar, “short courses can be a good stepping stone for people who are still on the fence about postgraduate study”.
“It can help you get unstuck,” she said.
“For example, I know how to use excel, but I find myself needing to learn how to use pivot tables. So, I jumped on LinkedIn learning and in two or three minutes I’ve learnt what I needed to learn. I’m unstuck,” Poorva said.
Naz Aminshahidy, a current MBA (Global) student at the University of Newcastle, explained that it was during her undergraduate work placement that she gained an insight into the importance of keeping her knowledge up to date on a regular basis. “Every day a new tool, a new technology, a new feature comes out,” she explained.
After completing her degree, she got a job working for the University of Newcastle’s Global Office and later decided to undertake an MBA (Global) to upgrade her international knowledge. “Seeing my colleagues use their international experience and knowledge on a daily basis has been my biggest motivation to go back to university,” she said.
Another thing you could do, is look into which skills are most in demand at the moment. You could do this by perusing short courses and looking at what is in trend. For example, on LinkedIn Learning the current trending course at time of writing is Unconscious Bias.
- Plan for the long term
Next, think about where you would you like your career to be in two to three years’ time. Are you moving upwards in your trajectory towards managerial or leadership responsibilities? Are you looking to move sideways towards a different type of role? Start with the end in mind and project yourself to where you want to be. Then, ask yourself: what are the skills I need to get there? Set your vision, and plan out the immediate, short-term and long-term goals needed to reach it.
Having the knowledge of why you’re going back to study can help you stay motivated and focussed. And remember, it's not just about workplace skills, study can also increase your confidence and ability to manage change in many aspects of your life.
If you’re feeling inspired to take up a short course today, check out LinkedIn Learning.
If you’re thinking about postgraduate study to help your career, now is the time to start. Start your search at newcastle.edu.au/postgrad.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.