GRAB A QUICK BITE
A LITTLE BOOST TO YOUR SKILLSET CAN FEED YOUR NEXT MOVE
BUILDING on existing skillsets can propel displaced workers into jobs faster than if they start from scratch with a new qualification.
Think & Grow founder Jonathan Jeffries says full qualifications are not always necessary for jobseekers who possess a wealth of skills, such as communication, resilience and empathy, and are looking to change industries.
Instead, short, targeted courses that provide knowledge in a specific area can be just as effective, he says.
“The misnomer is we need a piece of paper (qualification) to get a job but, often, we don’t,’’ Jeffries says. “Short courses can give impact quickly. They give (jobseekers) the confidence they need to do the job.
“It’s not a degree but short courses are a common way for people to fast track their careers.’’
Think & Grow, in partnership with RMIT Online, recently launched ReTrained, a free, six-week online program designed to support midcareer workers whose jobs were displaced by the pandemic to transition into digital careers.
The program, funded by the Victorian government to counter the unemployment fallout in that state, builds on participants’ skills to prepare them for roles in areas including customer experience, content, social media and digital marketing.
Jeffries says displaced workers from the education, hospitality, retail, health, not-for-profit and government sectors were among those to enrol in the first intake, with many offered jobs before the program finished.
Development at Work Australia director Bridget Hogg agrees short courses can provide a foot in the door to jobs in some industries.
But she warns an accredited qualification is still needed for many roles and says jobseekers must research the requirements of their chosen industry carefully.
In some instances, recognition of prior learning (RPL) can be an effective way of gaining formal acknowledgment for skills gained from previous work experiences and may be viewed more favourably than non-accredited learning, she says.
Vince de Stefano, 46, was a commercial director working in the disability services sector until Covid struck and he became unemployed for the first time in 25 years. After taking part in the Retrained program, de Stefano says he is now looking forward to rejoining the workforce.
“I wouldn’t have been able to sustain a longer-term training program as well as supporting my family financially,’’ de Stefano says.
“I viewed the program as a ‘freshen up’.
“I see it as the coach giving you some halftime advice before you go back on the field … (to) refocus my efforts on organisations where the likelihood of success is much greater.’’