Why Upskilling Matters
Today, we face an age of VUCA – volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
In this new, uncertain world, the norms of employment that we have known for decades have been upended. Worker mobility is higher than ever before, and loyalty to a single company is nearly extinct as a concept. On the other hand, employers are trying desperately to retain skilled employees, while also navigating a landscape of rising costs.
Thus, relying on markers like higher education or seniority no longer guarantees a good salary or career advancement for most employees. Rather, actual, demonstrable skills are the employment currency of the future.
This process of upskilling is vitally important for employers, employees, and government alike, as it enables workers to improve their skills or pick up new capabilities. In turn, it ensures productivity growth for the firm and professional advancement for employees.
Recognizing the Importance of Upskilling
In a poll conducted by BrioHR on LinkedIn, a majority of respondents want the new Minister for Human Resources of Malaysia, V. Sivakumar to focus on workforce upskilling. This result puts upskilling ahead of other priorities, such as implementing fair working standards or addressing an ongoing labour shortage.
Benjamin Croc, co-founder and CEO of BrioHR said, “The survey results show that the need for workforce upskilling and reskilling has never been greater. Working professionals are hoping that the government will enact policies encouraging employers to consider upskilling their current workforce to fill skill gaps rather than incurring the expense and time commitment of hiring new employees.”
In the wake of the pandemic, upskilling is more crucial than ever before, as it enabled many to rethink their working methods and careers. Coupled with the rise of technology, even highly educated employees are finding it hard to adapt to the new way of work, not to mention the concerns over digitalization and automation.
Mind the Skills Gap
Upskilling also plays a critical role in closing the skills gap within Malaysia’s workforce. A clear ‘skills gap’ has developed where employers struggle to hire appropriately skilled employees, whereas employees are forced to take jobs for which they are not ready for.
According to a study conducted by Deloitte, an estimated 2.4 million positions across the manufacturing sector will remain unfilled between 2018 and 2028, resulting in a potential economic impact of $2.5 trillion. On the other hand, a poll by Hays found that 69% of respondents said they didn’t think that young people have the necessary skills to enter the world of work when leaving education.
While tertiary education has a role to play in narrowing the skills gap, employers also need to address this shortfall by engaging in upskilling. In order to help employees advance in their existing roles and add value to the company, employers will want to invest in training and upskilling. Employees, too, can break free from repetitive, mundane tasks and seek meaningful work when upskilled.
This is the also a pressing concern that the Ministry of Human Resources needs to look into. Over the past three years, the government has spent RM19 billion on various reskilling programmes, equivalent to 5% to 6% of the annual budget. Nevertheless, the skills gap is still a concern.
To this, Croc said, "It is essential that all stakeholders work together to bridge the digital divide that has resulted from the pandemic and the global skills gap. Upskilling is critical for increasing employee retention and productivity. Employees who are effectively upskilled can contribute to the growth of the business and realise their full potential. As a result, the economy will also benefit."
Engage Your Employees With BrioHR
While an upskilling programme takes time and commitment, you can do the next best thing right now: engaging your employees. With an engaged workforce, your employees are highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace, driving performance and innovation.
BrioHR’s all-in-one platform allows for seamless, friction-free automation of repetitive HR work, while giving employees a user-friendly experience for all essential HR tasks. This way, you can focus on engaging employees and maybe start with the basics of upskilling.
With a secure, scalable, user-friendly platform, BrioHR covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
Today, we face an age of VUCA – volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
In this new, uncertain world, the norms of employment that we have known for decades have been upended. Worker mobility is higher than ever before, and loyalty to a single company is nearly extinct as a concept. On the other hand, employers are trying desperately to retain skilled employees, while also navigating a landscape of rising costs.
Thus, relying on markers like higher education or seniority no longer guarantees a good salary or career advancement for most employees. Rather, actual, demonstrable skills are the employment currency of the future.
This process of upskilling is vitally important for employers, employees, and government alike, as it enables workers to improve their skills or pick up new capabilities. In turn, it ensures productivity growth for the firm and professional advancement for employees.
Recognizing the Importance of Upskilling
In a poll conducted by BrioHR on LinkedIn, a majority of respondents want the new Minister for Human Resources of Malaysia, V. Sivakumar to focus on workforce upskilling. This result puts upskilling ahead of other priorities, such as implementing fair working standards or addressing an ongoing labour shortage.
Benjamin Croc, co-founder and CEO of BrioHR said, “The survey results show that the need for workforce upskilling and reskilling has never been greater. Working professionals are hoping that the government will enact policies encouraging employers to consider upskilling their current workforce to fill skill gaps rather than incurring the expense and time commitment of hiring new employees.”
In the wake of the pandemic, upskilling is more crucial than ever before, as it enabled many to rethink their working methods and careers. Coupled with the rise of technology, even highly educated employees are finding it hard to adapt to the new way of work, not to mention the concerns over digitalization and automation.
Mind the Skills Gap
Upskilling also plays a critical role in closing the skills gap within Malaysia’s workforce. A clear ‘skills gap’ has developed where employers struggle to hire appropriately skilled employees, whereas employees are forced to take jobs for which they are not ready for.
According to a study conducted by Deloitte, an estimated 2.4 million positions across the manufacturing sector will remain unfilled between 2018 and 2028, resulting in a potential economic impact of $2.5 trillion. On the other hand, a poll by Hays found that 69% of respondents said they didn’t think that young people have the necessary skills to enter the world of work when leaving education.
While tertiary education has a role to play in narrowing the skills gap, employers also need to address this shortfall by engaging in upskilling. In order to help employees advance in their existing roles and add value to the company, employers will want to invest in training and upskilling. Employees, too, can break free from repetitive, mundane tasks and seek meaningful work when upskilled.
This is the also a pressing concern that the Ministry of Human Resources needs to look into. Over the past three years, the government has spent RM19 billion on various reskilling programmes, equivalent to 5% to 6% of the annual budget. Nevertheless, the skills gap is still a concern.
To this, Croc said, “It is essential that all stakeholders work together to bridge the digital divide that has resulted from the pandemic and the global skills gap. Upskilling is critical for increasing employee retention and productivity. Employees who are effectively upskilled can contribute to the growth of the business and realise their full potential. As a result, the economy will also benefit.”
Engage Your Employees With BrioHR
While an upskilling programme takes time and commitment, you can do the next best thing right now: engaging your employees. With an engaged workforce, your employees are highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace, driving performance and innovation.
BrioHR’s all-in-one platform allows for seamless, friction-free automation of repetitive HR work, while giving employees a user-friendly experience for all essential HR tasks. This way, you can focus on engaging employees and maybe start with the basics of upskilling.
With a secure, scalable, user-friendly platform, BrioHR covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
