EXTEND YOUR SHELF LIFE
THE lifelong learning rhetoric has now become reality, with career experts warning that continual upskilling is the only way to remain competitive in today’s workforce.
Adecco Group chief executive Rafael Moyano says no one is immune to the changes that technology is having on workplaces and employees must commit to regular upskilling and reskilling to remain relevant.
“As the shelf life of skills becomes shorter … workers will need to regularly upgrade their skills to meet advances in technology, new ways of working and changes in the demands of the labour market,’’ Moyano says.
“Any upskilling and reskilling is going to be beneficial.
“In the future world of work, skills acquisition will no longer be a process with an ending.’’
Moyano believes upskilling in the science and technology area, such as artificial intelligence or big data, will bring the greatest benefit to workers.
PwC national skills leader Sara Caplan says continual learning need not be restricted to undertaking a full qualification, with online learning, short courses, podcasts and mentoring all valid alternatives.
“The currency of skillsets is different for different sectors,’’ she says.
“If you were working in automotive manufacturing a couple of years ago, refining your skills in that industry would not have helped you in keeping a job as the industry was declining to the point where it has stopped.
“Conversely, developing new knowledge and depth in an area of IT, if you are employed in that sector, might be the key to staying employed there.
“The important thing is to be able to understand your current skills and knowledge, and whether they are going to be sufficient in the future if you want to stay in your current sector, or whether you need to augment them.’’
Brooke Martlew, 40, found work as a travel agent after finishing school and believes her commitment to upskilling has allowed her to stay in the tourism sector.
She joined transport and travel company SeaLink early in her career and has completed various qualifications to move into roles in sales, staff training and development and human resources.
Now a national HR manager, Martlew says Sealink’s focus on continual learning has benefited all employees.
“There’s lots of opportunities to move into different areas … and it’s just fantastic,’’ she says.