Go online to upskill & reskill

In the current time and age, consistent and continuous learning has become absolutely necessary to stay competitive in the job market, given the changes brought about by technology and other socio-economic shifts. As per a report by the World Economic Forum, over half of all workforce in India will require upskilling and reskilling to meet the talent demands of the near future. This skill upgradation will be required not just with respect to understanding emerging technologies such as AI, AR, VR and the like, but also in terms of honing soft skills such as effective and impactful communication, attention to detail and listening skills.

With intelligent automation and AI, set to rule the roost, many are devoting a significant amount of time to refine their skills. As businesses undergo galactic shifts, catapulted by technology, employees who are skilled right can steer organizational growth and success in the right direction. Many newbie job aspirants are also looking for organisations that provide on the job coaching and career assistance for their professional growth and this trend is fuelling enterprises to use such an arrangement as a branding opportunity.

The evolution of technology has opened up several courses online and most of the time they are freely available over the internet. MOOCs offer a variety of specifically designed courses that one can use to upskill themselves, comfortably and in the shortest possible time frame. Several firms have come up with impactful training modules by partnering with educational institutions of repute, not only to impart highly advanced skill sets but also to attest and certify participants for all their career needs of the future.

Employers also respect an online degree as much as a degree earned from attending a physical school. With the current technological advancement, more and more employees are pursuing their education and training online. Because talent acquisition managers value continuing education and professional development, having the relevant courses and programs in the education section of your CV will demonstrate that you are not only resourceful but you have also taken the initiative to stay ahead of the curve and improve professionally.

Opting for such courses add the much-needed boost to the CV, thereby increasing chances of promotion, not only in the employee's current job roles but it also opens up future job opportunities in other organisations. These online platforms also deploy artificial intelligence and predictive analysis to map and predict skills demand in the industry. It also allows them to suggest courses that are customised for each applicant.

It must be noted that technologies that are right on top of the value chain will become redundant sooner than one can ever imagine. As per a McKinsey Global Institute report, 800 million global workers will lose their jobs by 2030 and will be substituted by robotic automation. Hence, organisations will need employees equipped with new-age skills in areas such as marketing, operations, banking, agriculture, chemistry, data mining, cloud computing, finance, stocks and healthcare etc. The new world will also seek skills such as creativity, analytical thinking, adaptability, dexterous thinking, leadership and the ability to collaborate transparently. No business school can train individuals in all these aspects at once. We can understand it better by the fact that, in the near future, 15-20% of professionals will be working in job roles that do not even exist today.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com