What Are the Goals of Upskilling?

Imagine if every year, around New Year’s, you thought about going back to school to get a degree (maybe your first, maybe your third). You toy around with the idea, knowing it would help you advance in your career, but you don’t know how you’ll pay for it or find time for it, and by February, the thought fades. Come next year, the same thing happens, and before you know it, five years have passed and you’re no closer to achieving your educational aspirations.

Many of us have educational goals we want to achieve, but getting to the point of taking that next step and enrolling in a program can feel daunting or unaffordable on our own.

This is why employer education benefits can be so essential for employee upskilling efforts; employees will often pursue training opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have if their employers didn’t offer them. 56% of Workforce Edge users surveyed agree that without Workforce Edge and their employer education benefits, they would not have gone back to school while working.

Let’s explore the benefits of upskilling and how these programs can support your employees’ goals. 

What is the purpose of upskilling?

When employees develop new skills or knowledge that help them advance in their current role, that’s upskilling. You may be wondering: what is the value of upskilling for employees? Upskilling helps employees advance at their company through a promotion or lateral move to a new role or achieve personal learning milestones, among other goals.

Why upskilling and reskilling is important

Think about two people working the same job in a warehouse. One might take management training and move into a supervisory role—an example of upskilling—while another might take courses and get a license to become an insurance adjuster—an example of reskilling. 

Both upskilling and reskilling are important in today’s complex, rapidly changing world. Companies and employees alike need to stay on top of industry and global trends to ensure they have the right skills to be successful in this evolving world of work. Going forward, younger employees are increasingly coming to expect this kind of skill-building support from employers: according to a survey conducted by Workplace Intelligence in fall 2022, 74% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said they are ready to move on from current employment due to subpar skills-building support or a lack of career mobility.

What is an example of upskilling?

We’ve discussed the benefits of upskilling, but what does upskilling actually look like in the workplace? To give you an idea, here are a few upskilling examples:

• A legal secretary who performs administrative and clerical work in a law office gets tuition reimbursement from his employer to pursue a paralegal certificate. When he earns the certificate nine months later, he moves into a paralegal role at the firm, which allows him to support attorneys with legal work—and commands a higher salary.
• A hotel bartender goes back to school while working to finish a degree in hospitality management. With her work experience and new educational credentials, she becomes the hotel’s new food and beverage manager.
• A digital marketer takes an online course in data storytelling, which helps her tell interesting stories with data—a skill that gets her more visibility in executive meetings. 

Why is upskilling important for HR?

Upskilling programs, typically run by HR or L&D teams, are company-wide initiatives that strategically set out to develop a more skilled workforce. While they benefit the whole organization, HR is responsible for ensuring employees have access to—and are aware of—upskilling opportunities. Why should HR teams develop these, and what are the goals of upskilling in HRM?

HR professionals are tasked with keeping employees engaged, motivated, and satisfied with the company and its benefits offerings. Increasingly, people are coming to expect that upskilling opportunities will be part of their total benefits package. In fact, they’re even more likely to stick around if so. According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and TalentLMS, 76% of employees say they are more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training.

And when employees don’t see an avenue to grow their careers, they could be more inclined to leave. According to a recent survey by McKinsey and Company, 41% of over 13,000 respondents cited lack of career development/advancement as the most common reason for quitting their previous jobs. For HR pros, these stats make it clear: Employees need to see a path for themselves to grow, or they may not stick around.

Looking for ways to support your employees’ upskilling goals? Reach out and start the conversation today.