Upskilling probably sounds like careers and recruiter jargon, or something future you will need to worry about it – and it kinda is! But it\u2019s also something worth thinking about as you begin to take your first steps into the world of work.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not saying you have to have it all figured out, but having some expectations and ownership over your career journey will set you up for long-term success.<\/p>\n
With the Foundation for Young Australians<\/a> reporting that young people will have on average 17 different jobs across 5 different careers in their working lifetime, upskilling is something that will become increasingly crucial!<\/p>\n Career upskilling is the process of:<\/p>\n Research published in December 2019 found the number of people upskilling for future roles rose from 52% to 57%. Those upskilling to help in their current role dropped from 69% to 59%.<\/p>\n With the impact COVID-19 has had on the workforce, these figures will likely shift even more in the future. With so many young people thinking about what their future career self looks like, upskilling is being taken to a whole new level.<\/p>\n Automation and digital transformation across many workplaces mean employees have to keep up with a rapid pace of change.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t new. We talk about automation and digital transformation as though they\u2019re concepts that are only just beginning to change the ways we work and booting people out of historical work roles, but they\u2019ve been around for decades.<\/p>\n Every iteration of work, industry and career has faced automation at some point or other; we\u2019re just facing it at a scale never seen before. As our digital prowess grows, so will the impact across specific industries \u2014 for better or worse.<\/p>\n A report from Deloitte<\/a>, titled Future of Work: How can we adapt to survive and thrive?<\/em> found that 60% of people surveyed expect to change roles or industries in the next 10 years. And 67% expect their current job will no longer exist or require a new skill set within 15 years.<\/p>\n Upskilling has always been important, but it\u2019s now becoming more widespread as people are faced with the fact that there\u2019s no such thing as a career for life. Instead of seeing this as a problem, we need to embrace it as an opportunity!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to upskill to prepare for the future, you need to understand how your industry is changing and what skills are in demand.<\/a><\/p>\n But to get started, you need to understand where you\u2019re currently at in terms of your own skills. Don\u2019t panic if you\u2019re unsure or don\u2019t feel like you have tonnes of skills just yet! This is more about building awareness and a starting point that you can naturally build on as you gain more experience and a better understanding of what you want your career to look like.<\/p>\n Use these questions to create a \u2018roadmap\u2019 of your current skills:<\/strong><\/p>\n Developing these skills will require a mix of activities, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n Upskilling isn\u2019t necessarily about gaining accreditation through formal learning and certificates \u2014 although these can be valuable \u2014 it\u2019s also about how you work as a professional in chosen fields to keep being a professional.<\/p>\n The target industry, or industries, that you\u2019re interested in working can also provide you with lots of resources to start tailoring your upskilling decisions. This is where networking and finding a mentor helps.<\/p>\n We know how confusing this can all feel, especially when there are way more important things going on like hanging out with your mates or forgetting to finish that homework assignment. This is why Explore Careers brings all the resources together for you, so when you\u2019re ready – it\u2019s all here waiting for you.<\/p>\n If you want to see what career areas you might be most suited to, so you can make a start on the skills you need to boost, improve and gain, you can find out using our popular career quiz:<\/p>\nUnderstanding Career Upskilling<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Why is this Important?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Upskilling for Your Future Career<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Ready for Next Steps?<\/strong><\/h4>\n