Digital and technological development is accelerating. At the same time as many previous jobs are automated or disappear, new roles are being added. Did you know that approximately 85 percent of all jobs by 2030 have not yet been created? This means that you who are to be active in the future labor market will probably have to acquire new skills.
Here we review the terms re-skill and up-skill. Why it is important for employers to focus on skills development, and what you yourself can do to remain sought after in the labor market of the future.
What do up-skill and re-skill mean?
Up-skilling is about the employer facilitating so that employees get new and necessary skills that can strengthen them in their current roles. This is a continuous training process that covers competence gaps and supports the employee throughout the career.
Re-skilling is about giving people new skills in completely different areas. This is a method of retaining valuable employees instead of hiring new ones when the skills gap arises.
In a world where technology is taking over more and more manual tasks, soft values and skills are increasingly in demand. The report Future of Jobs, prepared by Word Economic Forum, emphasizes that critical thinking, innovation, leadership, social influence, creativity and complex problem solving are skills that will be in great demand by employers.
Why is competence development so important?
One of the most obvious effects of the pandemic has been a huge wave of unemployment. Many economies have struggled with global shutdowns. Several companies and industries have suffered greatly. The companies lack the funds to hire new employees, and often also to retain the skills they already have. It is therefore more important than ever to invest in skills development to ensure an adaptable and flexible workforce when there are unexpected fluctuations in the market.
For you who are an employee or job seeker, competence development is extremely important to keep the door open for future jobs. Digitization has already come a long way in almost all industries and industries. Therefore, it can be crucial that you stay up to date on which requirements and criteria are applicable at all times.
How can you as an individual develop competence?
It is above all organizations and employers who should take the main responsibility for developing the skills of their employees, but it is also important that you as an employee take the initiative and stay up to date on the new competence requirements. The same applies to you who are a job seeker. Do research. What roles and areas do you see a great demand in and what skills are they asking for?
There is a lot of useful knowledge to be found online, either completely free or for a small fee. The range of web courses has exploded over the last ten years and includes everything from short lessons to complete education in a large number of areas, especially on digital topics. Certain digital skills are in demand in almost all industries, such as digital driver’s license, programming, UX design, data visualization, digital product management and social media.
Many of these e-courses are flexible and can be performed whenever you want, and they can therefore be easily adapted to your own schedule.
As mentioned, soft skills are more in demand than ever. Soft skills are about the personal qualities you have, in the form of, for example, social skills, values, personality and attitudes. These are skills that can be a little more difficult to acquire digitally, but if you can find an experienced mentor, or participate in an education program organized by the employer, you can most likely hone the most important skills.
In order to succeed with your own competence development, you should formulate clear goals and find the knowledge gaps you want to close. Set up a plan and put the plan into practice to gain the experience you need to prepare for your future working life.
How can companies develop the skills of their employees?
The company must examine what competencies the current workforce has, and what skills they lack and their ability to re- or up-skill, as well as which methods are to be used for competence development.
Many companies focus on career programs and help their employees pave the way for their professional development. As part of this, companies will also provide personal recommendations and suggestions for measures that can help employees acquire the skills they need.
