Why Upskilling and Reskilling should be your top priority in 2022

By Eunice Victoria

I had a conversation with one of our candidates who was telling me that the pandemic made her go back to the drawing board which I really agree. I am one of those people who keep a 5-year plan but due to COVID 19 everything changed; both my personal goals and professional ones. In fact, very many people are now seeking to enhance their skill set by either upskilling or taking a completely new direction through reskilling.

I want us to go through what these terms mean shortly.

Upskilling

Upskilling is the process of learning new skills to enhance your skillset.

Upskilling is most common within the workplace. Employers may want to train their workforce to acquire new skills, ultimately enabling workers to grow in their current positions and bring added value to the business.

Those who are not involved with any organization may want to take short courses, professional training or even master courses to achieve this. The ultimate goal here is to ensure that they enhance their career path.

Reskilling

Reskilling is the process of learning new skills with the goal of finding a different job or career path.

Reskilling is attractive to individuals who are looking to change their jobs or careers. They may take further education to learn the skills needed to enter an entirely new field of activity to what they were previously in.

This also happens in the workplace. Some employers may want to retain an employer if the position has become redundant or if their skill set would be suitable for another role.

Why Upskilling and Reskilling should be your top priority in 2022

Many people and even organizations are now either upskilling or reskilling to stand out from the crowd. This is why.

1.???The Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic

As a result of the pandemic, the unemployment rate skyrocketed. This had an effect on people’s livelihoods globally that led to the reduction of the global economy. However, there is hope. In the past, any major global pandemic has led to a period of prosperity which we will start experiencing. This means that it is important to gain more skills to put you in a better position for global opportunities; for some even changing your career completely can give you an upper edge.

2.???Growing digital technologies and innovation

Digital transformation has created new roles. Many organizations are now switching their traditional systems of doing work to digital. In fact, there are companies who have adopted working from home as their new normal. This means that it is important to sharpen your skills to ensure that you are up to par with where the world is going. Additionally, digitalization has led to automation which means some roles are not even done by humans.

The BBC reports that “Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be replaced by robots by 2030.” It is therefore important to upskill and reskill. This should be your life mantra.

Skills shortages

Digitalization has led to skills shortages which are proving to be very problematic.??In fact, there is a global shortage of new technology-based skills and this should give you a clue.

The top 10 skills in demand in 2022 include:

·??????Complex problem-solving

·??????Critical thinking

·??????Creativity

·??????People management

·??????Coordinating with others

·??????Emotional intelligence

·??????Judgement and decision-making

·??????Service orientation

·??????Negotiation

·??????Cognitive flexibility

Yet, these are the skills that are currently scarce within the workforce. According to research “by 2030, more than 85 million jobs could go unfilled because there aren’t enough skilled people to take them.”

If you want to change jobs or simply prepare for the future of work, now is the time to consider acquiring some of these scarce skills – make sure you’re ready for whatever comes your way!

?How can Skills to Grow Africa help you?

Skills to Grow Africa is your trusted career partner. We are devoted to helping you achieve your career goals. Whether you’re an individual looking for a new career path, or an employer searching for a training programme for your workers, here’s how we can help:

In-company programmes

Our in-company courses are aimed at companies that want to help their employees build new skills and gain knowledge across a number of business subjects.?

Whether you’re looking for more training for your employees or consultancy for your company, we offer flexible programmes and projects “á la carte” to suit your business needs. All of which are delivered by our knowledgeable and experienced professionals.

The types of courses we offer include:

????????Advanced Skills to Grow Program

????????PR Pro Program

????????Writing Pro Program

????????Events Pro Program

????????PR Consulting Program

????????Millennial CEO Program

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The writer is the Planning and Business Development Director at Skills to Grow Africa

[email protected]