What Is Upskilling? An Intro to Job Growth Opportunities

What Is Upskilling Exactly?

Upskilling is where employees receive additional training and development that expands their existing skills. Upskilling improves and strengthens what you already do in your job, which has the benefits of closing skill gaps in your work experience and making you more qualified for advancement in your company.

While most people think of expanding their technical skills, you can also develop soft skills and leadership skills to help you remain competitive in your career field. Additionally, dedicating yourself to continuous learning and development can help set you apart from your peers by showing that you’re committed to always improving and growing.

You may have also heard of reskilling, and you might be wondering how it is different from upskilling. They both involve gaining new skills and knowledge, but their end goals and purposes differ.

Upskilling vs. Reskilling: The Differences

You can think of upskilling as progression along a linear (think vertical) career path. This kind of training involves learning new and advanced skills that are relevant to your current role. You might take an online course or certificate program. With leveled up skills in your toolkit, you could qualify for promotions or other elevated opportunities in your current industry or company. For example, a web developer who already knows Java might take an online course to learn Python and become a senior back-end developer. You might say one of the benefits of upskilling is becoming more of an expert in your field.

On the other hand, reskilling is a lateral (think horizontal) move. It involves learning new skills to transition to a different role or career path. An example of this might be an administrative assistant taking coding courses to become a data analyst. Both roles require organizational and computer skills, but with new training in hand, the administrative assistant could move to a data analytics role in a different department or company. The benefits of reskilling focus more on changing careers to better align with your professional, personal, or financial goals.

With both upskilling and reskilling, it’s important not to learn new skills for the sole purpose of collecting certifications but instead to benefit your career path. Be sure to frequently use your new skills by taking on new projects and responsibilities, and foster a mindset of continuous learning.

Upskill Training Options

Upskilling is important to keep up to date with changes in your career field and technology, and employers like to see team members prioritizing their professional development. Since upskilling is such a hot trend in modern work culture, there is a huge number of opportunities to freshen up your knowledge.

Paid Digital Upskilling Courses

If you can imagine a new skill you’d like to learn, there is likely a digital course for it! Paid digital upskilling courses are often offered through learning companies, community colleges, or universities. The cost for these courses can vary broadly, from less than $100 to learn Adobe Illustrator for graphic design to $10,000 for a six-month software engineering bootcamp. The options are endless, and no matter what skills you want to develop, you can find a course that fits your budget, timeline, and goals.

Free Upskilling Courses

Enrolling in a paid course isn’t the only way to upgrade your career skills! Plenty of free courses are available online, such as learning the fundamentals of graphic design or strengthening your tech chops as a full-stack Java developer. Free courses also vary in length, from a one-week workshop to a full class lasting several months. Upskilling with free online courses makes it possible to deepen your professional knowledge without the pricetag.

In-House Mentorship and Peer Coaching Programs

Some companies offer in-house training programs to their employees. With these programs, employees looking to upskill are paired with team members who are already subject matter experts. This method of upskilling pairs existing expertise with human connection, so you’re building a relationship with someone else on your team while you’re expanding your own knowledge base. Ask your manager or your company’s Human Resources department to learn whether your company offers in-house coaching options. If not, identify someone whose knowledge you value and ask if they would be willing to mentor you. Other ways to learn new skills on the job include Earn & Learn careers and apprenticeships. Both of these options provide the opportunity to earn a paycheck while being mentored in your chosen career path.

In-Person Training

With in-person training, you might travel to a different city to attend a multi-day intensive, or an expert might come to your company to conduct training. You can also receive in-person training where you live through local organizations such as certification programs or colleges. This option for upskilling is the traditional method of professional development, and it can be beneficial if you learn best in a typical classroom setting. Companies love offering this style of upskilling because it makes their current employees more valuable and reduces skill gaps, which in turn reduces the number of new employees they need to hire. In-person training has the added benefit of allowing you to connect and network with your classmates, which could lead to new professional relationships and future opportunities.

Project Opportunities

Taking on a new project can be a great choice if you prefer to learn by doing. There might be a project at your company that you can join to develop the skills you’re learning, or you could work on projects outside your job, such as freelancing. In addition, many digital upskilling courses include a final project to help you build your project portfolio. For example, a full stack app developer bootcamp might have you design and code your own app for a final project. Whenever you finish a project or complete a freelancing contract, make sure to keep your portfolio updated!