What is Upskilling and Why is it Important?

Upskilling is the process of developing new skills to advance your career. This can apply to virtually any career field — nursing, marketing, business, teaching and more. If you’re looking to find a new job or advance in your current field, upskilling can help get you there.

"I define upskilling as an investment in your indispensability," said Megan Bickford, a career services team lead at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). "The goal is to ensure you have the knowledge and abilities not only to perform the work you're doing today but also to thrive in the work you want to do in the future."

Adding to your skill set by growing in your field — or exploring a new one — can help you do your current job better, can lead to personal satisfaction with your career path and can help you stand out to hiring managers and become eligible for leadership roles and promotions.

Why is Upskilling Important?

It’s important to prioritize your professional development, especially in a challenging job market. Layoffs, hiring freezes and high turnover can make staying competitive in your field more important than ever. 

The more you upskill, “the better prepared you’ll be to master emerging technologies and advance your career,” said Tenille Jones '24MBA, a graduate of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at SNHU who works in workforce development.

What Are Some of the Benefits of Upskilling? 

Upskilling has many benefits, both personally and professionally. According to Jessica Erb, also a career team lead at SNHU, it can help you feel more productive and engaged in your work, which can positively impact your mental health.

Forbes reported that upskilling could also help you:

• Advance into a management role
• Take on new responsibilities
• Work more efficiently

Upskilling benefits organizations as much as employees due to its nature of creating "cross-functional employees,” Jones said. She noted that it’s cost-effective for businesses to support upskilling of their team members and builds loyalty among employees.

"The benefits of upskilling are profound," said Bickford. "It allows you to carve out your unique path, making you more competitive and empowering you to do your best work."

What is the Difference Between Upskilling and Reskilling?

Upskilling is when you develop new skills or a higher degree of competency in your current role. “Reskilling is when you learn new skills for a new career or position,” said Erb.

If a nurse earns a master’s degree in nursing, they are upskilling, whereas if that nurse wants to change careers and become a mental health counselor or a teacher, they would have to pursue licensure in their new field, which may include additional coursework or an additional degree. That's an example of reskilling.

What Are Some Examples of Upskilling?

There are many ways to learn new skills that will directly or indirectly benefit your career. Perhaps you have a liberal arts background and want to diversify your skill set by learning STEM-related skills, such as a programming language. Or maybe you already work in technology and need to learn a new programming language, such as Python, to help meet the demand for coders who know how to use it.

Or, Jones noted, maybe you see a lot of growth in artificial intelligence. “So, you decide to upskill your existing career as a software engineer by enrolling in a course on machine learning,” she said.

Once you have identified which skills you need to develop, there are a variety of ways to go about obtaining them. Some of those opportunities involve formal education, such as a degree program or certification. Some may involve short-term educational opportunities, such as bootcamp-style learning or competency-based education. And there may be ways to develop your skill set within your existing company already.

Some examples of upskilling are:

• Bootcamp-Style Courses. These short-term courses focus on learning a new technology skill and can be “a great way of learning new skills fast,” said Erb.
  
  
• Certifications. Many career paths have certifications that “validate one’s professional skills and competencies,” Erb said. For example, most human resource positions require an SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) certification, and project management professionals may need a PMP (project management professional) certification to advance in their field. These certifications often require extensive studying and preparation to pass rigorous exams.
  
  
• Education. Completing college courses, an entire degree or a certificate program can boost your career and help you stand out in a competitive job market.
  
  
• Professional Associations. Networking opportunities abound within professional associations for many professions. These associations also often provide access to professional development resources or events such as conferences, seminars or workshops.
  
  
• Professional Development. Check with your current employer to see if they offer professional development funds or opportunities as part of your compensation package. “Utilizing employer-sponsored funds is a cost-effective way to develop skills,” Erb said.
  
  If there are no current professional development funds available, talk with your manager. By working with your leadership, you may identify opportunities to develop your existing skill set. "(Ask) to take the lead on a project and for opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in your or other departments,” said Erb.

Learn more about professional development.

How to Learn New Skills 

If you are interested in learning new skills to advance or change your career, you can consider any of the options above.

To make your choice, Erb recommends reviewing job descriptions to identify trends in the skills needed to advance jobs in your field. For example, suppose you reviewed job descriptions for data or business analyst roles. You might notice a requirement for skills in SQL, Tableau and Python, along with the ability to communicate effectively or solve complex problems.

"Once you have identified the necessary skills, reach out to people in these roles, especially at your current company, to learn more about how these skills may apply to the type of roles that interest you," she said.

Developing new skills is all about your level of interest and determination. Like most things in life, you will get out of your upskilling efforts what you put into it.

"Start by falling down the rabbit hole," Bickford said. "Find something that genuinely sparks your curiosity."

She noted that you can start by exploring podcasts, YouTube videos and other free content to understand the foundations and make sure you're ready to commit.

"Once you've found your footing, then consider formal certifications or structured educational paths," she said. "Those will help you translate your new skills into something tangible and credible to employers."

To properly upskill, be systematic in your research and formulate a plan. “Identify market demand for the skills you’re considering and align them to your personal career goals,” Jones said.

What Skills Are Most in Demand?

As technology develops and the job landscape changes, different skills are becoming more important to employers. According to a survey by the World Economic Forum, employers said these skills in particular are increasing in importance:

• Creative thinking
• Analytical thinking
• Technological literacy
• Curiosity and life-long learning
• Resilience, flexibility and agility

You may notice that some of these skills — like life-long learning and agility — place a particular emphasis on employees with a growth mindset and a willingness to upskill.

How Do Managers Upskill and Reskill Employees?

Perhaps you're a manager and wondering how to help your employees advance their skills. Good for you, because investing in your team not only helps motivate and inspire your staff, it benefits your business as well. Upskilling and reskilling efforts are effective ways to show your commitment to your workforce.

“It goes without saying that by providing these options to reskill and upskill and encouraging your team to take advantage of them, you’ll better position your company for success moving forward,” said Jones.

Wondering where to begin? Erb has the answer: “First, management should assess its current workforce skills, identify its future needs, and use this to create a strategy for upskilling or reskilling.”

Direct managers and human resources managers should work together to explore training and development opportunities. This could involve “adding incentives for employees to complete training or incorporate incentives into performance evaluations,” she said.

Training is always best when embedded into the work at hand and included in the team’s meetings or goals, according to Erb. “Training should never be a one-and-done type of delivery,” she said. 

Some employers also offer tuition reimbursement benefits for their employees. According to Daisy Gillam, an employer relations partner at SNHU, hiring and onboarding new employees can be more expensive than upskilling existing employees.

On top of that, these programs can show employees that you're invested in their future. "Most places are pretty proud of the fact that they offer tuition assistance or reimbursement," Gillam said.

Read more about tuition reimbursement.

What Are the Benefits of Online Education for Upskilling or Reskilling? 

Traditionally, professionals developed new skills by going back to school. Depending on your goals, this can be a great option. Many excellent schools offer online options so you can even complete a degree program at your own pace. Be sure to check with your employer to see if they offer any financial help to cover some of the costs. Many employers will pay for some or all of the tuition if the degree directly applies to your job.

Dr. Marie Morganelli is a career educator and writer, as well as a former higher education administrator. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus — whether teaching or writing — is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn.