2. Why is it necessary that you upskill?
You should be aware that nothing is constant and the sector you are working for will undergo change sooner or later. With this it will be necessary that you develop your skills essential at the workplace. Upskilling will be closely related to new technology that will be imply the expansion of possessed networking skills, either for communication or transmitting data. It could be that with the introduction of a more automated process you will need to change the way you work or undergo training. It is not unusual that an SME will expect that you upskill and that they support you in the process, since good companies value skilled employees.
Bringing skilled people to the company is a strategy that is planned. It is not wrong to introduce external experts to the business, especially if their role is to train the staff, because they will bring with them different ideas that the team can benefit from. And this is an example of what open innovation is about – sourcing ideas from outside of the company.
Especially that raising the qualifications in trusted team members should impact the attachment of the employees to the company, don’t you think so? When the company invests in you (=your training and growth), it is showing that you count to them, moreover it can also mean you have new perspectives for sustaining your job with the possibility of promotion. This situation creates a work and life balanced environment which can be perceived as an investment (=strategy) in human capital (=including your professional and personal growth). The strategy will be closely linked with networking skills while growing importance and need for social and cognitive skills.
It is also important to mention that although specific skills are valued in employees from the very beginning of their employment period, and often an employment determinant, it is those that have experience in skill practice that will be most successful at the job.
In other words,
- it is not only about obtaining the skill(s) but putting them into practice;
- graduates will have the knowledge, but not the experience;
- attending training at the workplace makes it possible to develop specific skill categories;
- upskilling at the workplace is an opportunity to adjust to the skill(s) in demand that are prone to undergo change based on the changes on the market, job requirements and human nature, and rapidly changing services or products;
- universities, job centres or training institutions lack clearly defined skill levels applicable for the job, but general information, which can be assessed and proved to be either effective or not only at the job;
- it is difficult to target specific skills in demand without the specific work context, therefore an employee already in the company has the potential to be more productive than someone new on board.