Who would have foreseen the COVID-19 pandemic? It has impacted the global economy and the job market, and organizations had to change the way they work. 

A grim reality that we have had to come to terms with is whatever happens next to the global economy and job market is out of our hands. We’ve already seen the major changes that this Covid-19 pandemic has brought upon the economic landscape and, with them, the demand for new methods to call up your existing talent base.

Probably one of the most striking impacts of the pandemic has been the number of furloughed employees and high unemployment rates. The future is still unknown. The best one can do is start anticipating what may come, and start planning the next move. Now is the best time to upskill.

Upskilling is about learning additional skills that enable one to become better at a job they already know or perform. It also contradicts the need to replace you with someone new to manage any of your skill gaps as, through upskilling, you’ll be able to manage current and future changes in your job. When you have the skills to move forward in your work, you won’t have to join the unemployment line.

And as we all know at this stage, many organizations have been forced to change their way of working because of the demands that COVID-19 has laid on them. For few, this has meant having to learn new technologies after being forced to work from home. Through upskilling, challenges like these can be met, which is good news.

As technology becomes more prevalent in the workplace, focussing on your soft skills has never been more important. Technology alone cannot make a business reach heights. People who overlook upskilling interpersonal skills will often find themselves bested by their competitors.

The need for upskilling is nothing new. Whenever new technologies and market opportunities arise, there is a need for learning new ways of working to stay competitive. However, it can be said that the necessity for upskilling is more significant now than ever. 

In uncertain times like this, job security is under question for most. This is why upskilling is important. With upskilling, you will have added job security, and less need to worry about skill gaps. By upskilling yourselves with collaborative learning opportunities, easily accessible e-learning platforms, you’ll be able to achieve your goals.