Learning new skills is mission critical: 3 Ways to Bridge the Skills Gap in 2023

With the skills gap expanding across multiple industries, it can be challenging for employees to acquire the knowledge and expertise they need to thrive. Moving forward, we will explore how L&D teams may bridge the skills gap in 2023.

Why is Learning New Skills Important for Success in 2023?

Learning new skills is more critical than ever in 2023 and beyond. According to the 2022 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, over half of L&D leaders (46%) believe the skills gap is expanding in their firm, and 49% say CEOs are worried staff do not have the required skills to execute business goals. In this vein, 94% of respondents stated they would remain with a firm longer if it invested in their learning and development.

Currently, jobs traditionally held by young people are in danger of being automated at an accelerated rate. In the 2022 PwC Annual Global CEO Survey, 36% of CEOs indicated they were focusing on enhancing productivity via technology and automation, which is more than twice the percentage of CEOs who said the same thing in 2016.

How to Bridge the Skills Gap

When developing a training and development program for your company, finding out where your employees' knowledge and expertise are lacking is the first thing you need to do. Furthermore, you may determine the areas in which you need to concentrate your learning and development efforts by conducting a skills gap analysis at both the level of individual employees and the level of the whole business.

• Upskilling - Employees with a well-defined position may be "upskilled" by being taught additional useful skills in their existing roles. New technologies, managerial skills, or even in-depth familiarity with one's field might be on the agenda. Employees who invest in themselves via upskilling are more likely to remain relevant in their roles and contribute more to the success of their employers.
• Reskilling - This encompasses the process of providing training to workers in areas outside of their present job responsibilities but still useful to the business. This might be helpful for employees who want to switch gears and pursue a different career path inside the company or those who have to adjust to new responsibilities.
• Cross Skilling - It is also possible to offer employees training in areas of expertise that are useful in other parts of the business. In addition to assisting workers in becoming more adaptable and useful to the company, this may also promote cooperation and cooperation across different departments.

Adopt a Multi Prong Approach

There is no longer a universal method of instruction. Employers must deploy all possible education modes and implement a multifaceted strategy to close the skills gap effectively. Training workers through several different types of development approaches will result in increased learning retention as well as increased employee engagement, such as:

• Digital Learning: Now more than ever, people are turning to online education because of its convenience and popularity. You may allow your workers to study at their own speed and on their own time by providing them with digital learning opportunities, such as courses and materials. This may include things like webinars, video tutorials, and online courses that are accessed online.
• Instructor-led Training: In a conventional classroom environment, it’s feasible to create a well-organized learning environment for the students with the assistance of a knowledgeable teacher. In-person classes, seminars, and workshops are all examples of what may fall under this category.
• Hands-on & Lab Learning - This  may be the most efficient approach to acquiring particular knowledge and abilities, as it allows workers to get practical experience in an environment that more closely resembles the real world. Simulations, internships, and apprenticeships are all possible examples of this training.

Build or Buy Your Training Programs

Building or buying your training program might be a viable option to encapsulate all particularities of your industry and corporate approach for your employees. However, managing a structured training and development program is not simple. It must be meticulously organized and carried out. There are a lot of elements involved in training, from selecting the right classes to actually teaching them. For this reason, many businesses choose to collaborate with outside professionals.

Choose specialists to plan and administer your training program. You can be certain that your staff will benefit from the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in the program. This may help your company save money, time, and energy while still giving workers the training they need.

Having a learning partner like ExitCertified invested in your company's success allows you to take advantage of their ability to provide continuing education and certification programs that teach more than just the skills required for a particular profession. Individuals and businesses may benefit from the learning partner's wealth of experience and insight. Discover the business value of a training partner.

Track and Measure Effectiveness

No matter what type of training program you put in place, it is important to track and measure its effectiveness regularly. This will not only help to identify areas for improvement, but it will also allow you to witness the return on investment for your training efforts. Here are a few methods to consider:

• Surveying Participants: A straightforward way to gauge the effectiveness of your training program is to survey participants on their experience. Ask them questions like whether they found the training useful, whether they would recommend it to others, and what they enjoyed most about it. This can give you valuable feedback on what is and isn't working in your program.
• Assessing Employee Knowledge: Another way to measure the effectiveness of your training program is to determine employee knowledge before and after the training. Consider administering a pre-test before upskilling to establish a baseline, and then have employees take a post-test to see how much they have learned. You can compare the results of the pre-and post-tests to know the impact of the training.
• Evaluating Business Goals: Ultimately, the goal of any training program is to improve business outcomes. So, it is critical to track whether your training is actually resulting in the desired business goals being met. This could involve monitoring metrics such as productivity, customer satisfaction, or employee retention to see if there is a tangible impact on the business due to your training efforts.

By regularly tracking and measuring the effectiveness of your training program, the L&D team can enact necessary modifications and ensure that their training efforts positively impact the business.

Bottom Line

ExitCertified has provided vendor-authorized and open-source IT training to North American professionals since 2001. To assist you in the journey of bridging the skills gap within your enterprise, we provide virtually any IT training course. Contact us for a consultation. We’ll work with you, your IT manager and your employees to help you understand the skills your IT team currently has and the skills that are needed to help you use the technologies you have and those you plan to get.