Upskilling Crucial for Career Growth

As India strives to be the third-largest economy globally, the importance of upskill training has created a hullabaloo among corporate organisations. As echoed by the World Economic Forum, a staggering 50% of the global workforce may need upskilling by 2025 to suit new technologies. In layman’s terms, upskilling refers to the learning of advanced skills by an employee beyond their educational pedigree and basic training. Upskilling improves employee engagement leading to deeper collaborations and higher productivity, according to a 2022 LinkedIn report.

Hone Your Skills

Whether it’s an individual warming an office chair due to the ugly effects of benching or an employee scurrying like a gazette back and forth to appease the boss, upskilling has emerged as a fitting solution to navigate professional challenges and adapt to the evolving job market. Corporate behemoths employ mentorship, online teaching platforms, certifications, blended learning, external courses, and learning spending accounts to instill new skills in employees. Any form of upskilling is purported to enhance productivity, boost efficiency, foster team building and leadership, bridge skill gaps, and mitigate hiring costs. Gaurav Sehgal, Senior vice-president, Human Resources-Asia, Synchrony speaks of the upskilling initiatives at his company stating, “Our approach consists of hands-on learning, certificate reimbursements programmes, internal experience programmes, and leadership development to empower employees in a diverse workforce.”

Up your IT Game

Key areas like data visualisation, data analysis and encryption, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and cloud infrastructure management stand on the cusp of significant change, necessitating robust training. According to Venkataraman KR, Head of People Development, Tiger Analytics “A development approach based on on-demand access, peer learning forums, role-aligned learning initiatives, mentoring practices and Gen AI across verticals reflects continuous learning.”

In 2022, global tech giant Google initiated a campaign to enhance the skills of over 1 lakh cybersecurity researchers and developers in India. Microsoft and Amazon also provide various tech-based certifications in project management, IT support, data analytics, and UX/UI design.

The Digital Mavericks

Beyond the confines of IT, fields, content writing, public relations and digital market are not lagging in the upskilling race. Whether weaving captivating narratives, mastering the art of communication, or navigating the dynamic digital landscape, these fields are quintessential to keep the business and cash flow running. Shilpa Pal, PR Consultant, Pitchfork Partners says, “Learning the advanced features of Microsoft Office, with Social Media PR, Internal Communications and Influencer Marketing has greatly helped to craft compelling PR campaigns.” “I now contribute more effectively to client servicing in terms of documentation, clear communication, media plans and PR campaigns,” adds Shilpa.

Pratyush Mendon, an SAP ABAP Associate Consultant who faced roadblocks due to basic training, credits the upskilling initiatives in transforming him. He says, “My basic training was limited, often necessitating senior assistance for complex projects. After the quarterly upskilling programme in OOPS ABAP, I managed to navigate a task beyond my initial training. I developed an interactive and dynamic report within two weeks as per the client's demands.”

The Way Forward

The trend of upskilling and reskilling is not fading into oblivion anytime soon. As we step into the future, its transformative power promises the continued vitality of businesses in an era where competition is paramount. The commitment to upskilling is the linchpin for unlocking a future where hunger for learning and upgrading to new skills is synonymous with a ‘unicorn employee’ status.

Learn to Earn

Investment in upskilling could boost India's economy by 570 billion dollars (World Economic Forum)

88% of Indian workers believe in relearning and upskilling to remain relevant (Pearsons Skill Outlook Report)

87% of Indian women are pursuing tech-based upskilling (Emeritus Global Workplace Skills Study)

50% of workplace will need to re-skill themselves in emerging technologies (TeamLease report)

DigiPivot, a Google-sponsored upskilling programme in digital marketing is exclusive for women

UpGrad, Coursera, Udemy and LinkedIn Learning are the best apps to upskill in India

After the quarterly upskilling programme, I managed to navigate a task beyond my initial training by developing an interactive and dynamic report within two weeks.” — Pratyush Mendon, SAP ABAP Associate Consultant

Learning the advanced features of Microsoft Office, with Social Media PR, Internal Communications and Influencer Marketing has helped to craft compelling campaigns.”— Shilpa Pal, PR consultant, Pitchfork Partners

Our approach consists of hands-on learning, certificate reimbursements programmes, internal experience programmes, and leadership development to empower employees in a diverse workforce." — Gaurav Sehgal, senior VP, Human Resources Asia, Synchrony

A development approach on on-demand access, peer learning forums, role-aligned learning initiatives, mentoring practices and Gen AI across verticals reflects continuous learning.” — Venkataraman KR, Head of People Development, Tiger Analytics