Getting started with upskilling your employees

Upskill to level up!

As we navigate the digital age, keeping our skills up to date has become more important than ever, with the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 estimating that half of the global workforce will need to undergo upskilling, as companies acknowledge that 44 per cent of the skills employees require to perform effectively will change by 2025, making career upskilling necessary to keep up with the changing demands of employees’ roles

Whether you’re a business owner or a manager in your organisation, understanding the benefits of upskilling and how it affects your workplace is key to future-proofing your company. Consistent training brings immense value to your team.

Editor's note: While you might think this article is only for business owners or managers, think again! Most of the resources in this article also apply to anyone who wants to upskill to stay relevant. So read on!

The benefits of career upskilling

Perhaps you’re looking for ways to increase efficiency in the workplace or target specific skill gaps your team is facing. Adopting a strategic approach of upskilling – where employees learn new skills – can help address this by giving employees an avenue to pick up current trends and new developments in your industry. This can help to encourage your team members to adopt a problem-solving mindset and avoid career stagnation.

For instance, encouraging your team to familiarise themselves with courses on Meta Blueprint can give them a more robust understanding of advertising platforms and digital tools by equipping them with knowledge on how to perform functions such as running Facebook Ads and optimising digital marketing campaigns.

Engaging with upskilling initiatives enables employees to find more growth in their roles, as your team can get a better perspective of their learning and professional development goals for work and career advancement.

Upskilling can also help to boost morale: sending your team for upskilling courses is a sign that you’re taking an active interest in their future, increasing motivation in the workplace, which can raise productivity, lower attrition rates, and improve job satisfaction.

According to a study conducted by Randstand, 91 per cent of the respondents surveyed in Singapore indicated an interest in learning and development opportunities in the workplace, with 73 per cent highlighting the importance of training and development.

Getting started with upskilling your team

To assess if upskilling is suitable for your employees, consider coming up with a Personal Development Plan which provides a structured approach to career upskilling, encourages employees to take ownership over their own learning and professional growth, and helps you and your employees to focus on learning content and developing the most appropriate skills.

Unsure of how to get started? Check out the SkillsFuture Series, which provides training courses across emerging skills in the four economic growth pillars - Digital, Green, Care and Industry 4.0. Catering for varying proficiency levels, these courses lend insight into up-and-coming industry trends, which can help you and your team gain a better understanding of how these trends impact your business transformation.

Discover an array of courses across different industries on MySkillsFuture, which offers courses and programmes dedicated to upskilling, such as the  SkillsFuture Work-Study Programme. Supported by Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and private training providers selected by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), this enables individuals to pursue further education and develop new skills and knowledge.

Aside from SkillsFuture, Udemy Business is another useful online learning platform that offers courses on technical and soft skills alike, and is complimentary for individuals with a library membership.

If you’re looking to further your digital transformation journey, don’t miss out on SkillsFuture courses such as the Digital Transformation & Innovation Programme. Under this course, trainees will be taught to use technologies to revise business strategies for greater digital transformation.

You can also turn to LinkedIn Learning, where you can access business, technology and creative courses taught by industry experts from various sectors and get course recommendations based on your employees’ unique skill sets.

From business courses to webinars, build learning paths with your employees customised to the skills they wish to acquire, and get insights into their progress to ensure that they’re on the right track.

Get subsidies for training fees

Upskilling doesn’t always have to be costly - there are many grants and subsidies available to help defray training expenses!

The SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit scheme is one resource you can turn to to defray the cost of upskilling. To support workforce transformation and enterprise transformation, eligible businesses can claim up to $10,000 for selected programmes by various government agencies, as well as courses aligned to job redesign initiatives and Skills Frameworks by Workforce Singapore.

The TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) is yet another resource you can consider. Under this initiative, employees can bolster their ICT skills and enjoy funding support for course and certification fees.

Keen to learn more about upskilling? Check out GoBusiness’ SkillsFuture for Enterprise, which collates and organises the various skills development resources into a step-by-step guide for easy reference.

You can also turn to the GoBusiness e-Adviser for Skills Training, which offers recommendations for training courses and initiatives for career upskilling that are personalised to your business’ needs.

This article first appeared on https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/gobusiness-blog/.