Why is upskilling so important?
Decades ago, it was enough for workers to graduate from high school or university and begin a lifelong career. Most learning came to an end when that career started. Not anymore. Sophisticated digital technologies and the rise of the so-called “knowledge economy” mean that in order to stay competitive, your organization and your workforce need to embrace a culture of lifelong learning. A key tool for relevant workplace learning is upskilling.
So how are we doing? Not well, according to some reports. As recently as 2022 a Digital Skills survey found that up to 86% of Canadians felt unequipped for the future of work. And while many Canadian workers are committed to lifelong learning, it’s clear that many business organizations have a long way to go when it comes to closing Canada’s critical skills gap.
The good news is that your organization doesn’t have to go it alone. There are many great upskilling organizations on the ground that can help employers source great talent, while enabling workers to stay ahead of the learning curve. At Palette Skills, our experience shows there are at least five reasons why your business should be partnering with upskilling organizations right now.
1. Accessing skilled talent
One of the foremost ways upskilling organizations can benefit employers is by giving them access to new pipelines of highly motivated and non-traditional talent. Why is this so important? We’ve known for a while now that traditional hiring processes are broken, while according to many observers, the recent adoption of algorithm and AI-based recruitment tech is failing to deliver promised results. The result is that even if—and that’s a big if—organizations are fully staffed, there’s still a fundamental skills gap that threatens productivity and growth.
Too often there are mismatches between the skills employers think they need and the real-world skills required for the digital economy. Add to this is the fact that most traditional recruitment processes are still using yesterday’s solutions. Upskilling gets around this by connecting directly to motivated non-traditional communities (such as newcomers) while building the professional skills required in today’s workplace. The result? Upskilling connects employers to tailored solutions for their skills needs.
2. Cost-effective recruitment
Hiring a new employee is a major commitment—and one that will cost your organization time and money. While hiring seems like a straightforward process, the reality is otherwise, which means that when it comes to hiring decisions, employers are often too risk averse. And that’s why teaming up with an upskilling organization can help. Employers who get involved with the flagship SalesCamp program from Palette Skills, for example, suddenly discover that they have risk and cost free access to motivated people who are ready to hit the ground running.
Of course it doesn’t stop there. Employer partner managers at Palette Skills collaborate well beyond the recruitment phase to assist employers with onboarding and knowledge transfer. It’s a win-win solution that saves you time and money, and brings new talent to your organization that’s ready to make a difference.
3. Tailored training to suit your needs
Much of the time, employers hesitate to partner with upskilling and similar hiring programs because they wonder if it’s the right solution for their business model. After all, can a one-size-fits-all training program deliver better results than what can be achieved in house? If you have your own HR people and processes, you trust them because they know your business values and culture, and that’s understandable.
But the reality is that upskilling is a nimble and tailored talent solution. The upskilling model pioneered by Palette Skills works because it is industry-led, demand-driven, and industry integrated. For example, employers and industry groups involved with an upskilling program like the Digital Agriculture Specialist program are not only involved in curriculum and program design, they are invited to participate, delivering vital components such as on-the-ground learning opportunities for participants. The result is talent that meets and exceeds employer expectations from the get-go.
4. Supporting a culture of continuous learning
Curiosity and continuous learning are critical in the dynamic world of technology. For example, tech salespeople need to understand the tech landscape around the products they sell, in addition to knowing what’s to come. Even more importantly, tech salespeople should be able to sense what emerging trends mean for potential customers. Finally, we all know that in the new economy, the distance between lifelong learning and productivity is closing quickly. This all means that to stay ahead, your organization has to enable and support a learning culture.
But how? The cost of training programs can be a significant financial barrier for both tech enterprises and professionals who want to upskill and stay ahead of industry developments. That’s one of the reasons why partnering with Canada’s upskilling ecosystem is a great way to build learning into the way your organization does business. Upskill Canada works in partnership with employers and training providers across the country to build innovative rapid live and online upskilling programs that address the skills needs of Canadian businesses—especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in high-growth sectors.
5. Networking opportunities
One of the benefits of partnering with upskilling organizations that doesn’t get talked about enough is the opportunity for employers and businesses to network and learn. Time and time again, we’ve heard from our employer partners that they not only value the opportunity to meet great new talent, but that employers themselves get to learn from other businesses and people embracing the upskilling journey.
One of the key components of any effective upskilling program are the many networking events that are designed to bring together participants, employers, and learning professionals. From a business perspective, you can’t afford to ignore the chance to share knowledge, discover new partnerships, and connect with the great talent that these events will offer you.
Get on board
Suffice it to say, partnering with innovative upskilling organizations might just just change the way your organization and your workforce learns and grows. From acquiring great new talent to improving productivity and employee retention, you’ll be surprised and empowered by the many benefits you’ll discover when you get involved with a community-based upskilling organization.
The takeaway? Partnering with upskilling organizations is not just advantageous, but essential for the success and sustainability of your business. We invite you to find out more by visiting our website here, and by getting involved with Upskill Canada—a national talent and training platform that’s making a difference across the country.
