Knowing when it’s time to upskill

Thursday, September 17, 2020

For a thriving career, it’s essential that your skills and knowledge are up to date. Along with practical experience, connections and a commitment to what you do, upskilling can help you take your career to the next level.

Knowing when it’s it the right time to explore your upskill options isn’t always clear, and it often comes down to personal objectives and individual circumstances. Take stock of where you are in your career currently and where you would like to be in one, two, five or ten years to start creating a plan to make it happen.

Upskilling — what is it?

Upskilling or retraining is the act of taking part in further learning and training opportunities with the goal of enhancing or updating your industry knowledge, learning new skills and growing in your career.

It may be provided or encouraged by an employer within the workplace, or it can be sought out by an individual who is seeking to develop their skills, fill skill gaps or increase their knowledge within a sector.

Deciding whether it is time to upskill

Whether you’re ready to progress in your career or want to broaden your skillset, there are many reasons why you might be trying to determine the best time to retrain:

Improve job prospects

Deepening your skills and knowledge through retraining can make you more appealing to prospective employers, now or in the future. You also become more valuable to current employers, as workers who upskill more likely to be self-motivated, productive and innovative in their roles.

Update knowledge and skills

The world is fast-paced and things are changing and evolving all the time. Retraining can help you keep up to date with the latest tools and enhance the way you approach your work.

Advance your career

If a promotion or new position is what you are after, taking steps to upskill can help get you there faster. Upskilling can give you the necessary resources required to transition into a new role, take on new responsibilities or manage others in the workplace.

Get inspired

No matter how much you love what you do or the industry you work within, there are times in your career where you may feel less than inspired. Upskilling can increase your job satisfaction and reignite passion for your work.

Opportunities for retraining

If you have decided that it is time to enhance your career, you can begin exploring what resources and options you have access to. Your approach to upskilling might depend on a range of personal and professional circumstances. When you’re doing the research, consider what you want to achieve. For example, do you want to gain leadership and managerial skills, or are you exploring new areas of interest within your sector? This will help guide you in the right direction.

There are a number of ways to upskill, including:

Industry events

Conferences, webinars and publications are full of fresh information to help you stay at the top of your game. Seek them out as a way of keeping your knowledge and skills up to date.

Mentoring

Get paired with an experienced mentor who can support you in gaining new competencies. Your mentor can be in the workplace or outside of the workplace, but should be someone who’s knowledge you can rely on.

Courses and qualifications

The most thorough and measurable way to upskill is by enrolling in a relevant course. This can be an option for those who are currently working and those who are not.

If you are not currently employed, refreshing your skills can improve your employability and open opportunities for you. Choose a course that complements your existing skillset, adding more value to your experiences. Evaluate your career options and then find out what qualifications and skills are sought after for those employed in your desired roles.

If you are currently employed, you could explore undertaking a course as a professional development venture with your employer. Professional development not only benefits the individual, but also provides many benefits for workplaces and organisations. These benefits include retaining and motivating staff, increasing productivity and enhancing the standard of the workplace. Of course, you can upskill separate to your current employment, but consider how you might approach any potential practical placement components of your course.

Enhance your knowledge through online learning

Managing both work and study responsibilities to upskill has never been easier with online study. Online courses are ideal to build on your training from any location where you have access to Wi-Fi.

It’s important to have support when your upskilling though, which is why our online courses include one-on-one support from a dedicated and experienced trainer. Learners benefit from regular catch ups and help as needed, just as you would if you were to study on campus but with more versatility. Phone calls, messages, emails and video conferencing are all options for you to keep in touch with your trainer throughout your learning journey.

Training in early childhood education and care

If you are qualified to work in early childhood education, when exploring your next steps, look at the qualifications that follow the one you already have. Don’t forget to keep in mind your goals for the future too.

As a leading training provider in early childhood education and care courses, Practical Outcomes offers educators the ability to enhance their skills and knowledge within the sector. For individuals seeking to become qualified in a lead educator position, the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50113) provides the qualifications needed to deliver early childhood education programs for children in centre based and family day care.

In addition, this Diploma qualification also fast-tracks your way to a Bachelor of Education in either Early Childhood Teaching or Early Childhood and Primary Teaching to become qualified in numerous roles including as an  Early Childhood Teacher.

Retrain today for a thriving tomorrow

Choosing to upskill can deliver benefits over the duration of your career. Learning new skills, updating your existing training and expanding your knowledge are vital to building a career that you love now and well into the future.

If you’re not sure what the next step is, chat with our team about the best away forward for you when it comes to learning, and get started right away.