Emerging Trends In Professional Skill Enhancement

John Kallelil Apr 05, 2023

It is not an overstatement to state the fact that the globe has witnessed tremendous development in recent years. In light of this, various transformations have emerged in the workplace culture. On one hand, new job opportunities have appeared and on the other, giant organisations have announced lay-offs of their employees. In fact, with the emergence of new technologies, industries and business models, the demand for white collars with specialised skills has grown tremendously and this trend is not likely to slow down anytime soon. Thus, in order to remain competitive, it has become important for experts and leaders to stay ahead of the trends. However, not everyone in India is prepared to adapt to these changes, with more than half of prospective executives failing to meet the requirements for high employability.

According to the International Labour Organisation, India is staring at a 29 Million skill deficit by 2030. Therefore, to address this issue, skill enhancement and reskilling have emerged as critical factors that are not assisting in boosting the industry growth, but also preparing white collars to meet the demands of a modern workforce. As a result, it has become the need of the hour for professionals to adopt emerging trends. So, let's straight up delve into some of the significant trends in skill enhancement and reskilling that will help professionals.

Emerging trends to empower professional skill:

Microlearning

When there is a lot of information available on various topics, it becomes difficult for everyone, be it an expert, to absorb it all in one go; this is where the concept of microlearning comes into play. It is a type of learning in which the data is divided into small chunks in a highly targeted and concentrated manner. In fact, each brain's capacities and functionalities are different and vary from person to person. In this context, dissecting the facts leads to a proper understanding of the topic. When people absorb a lot of information, their brains tend to retain it for a while. However, after a certain point in time, the memory degrades due to a natural phenomenon. Thus, this approach has gained a lot of traction in recent times as it allows professionals to swiftly and adeptly learn new skills and knowledge without committing to long drawn-out courses.

Soft skills development

When it comes to joining an organisation, skills are very important whether it is hard or soft. While technical skills are significant, nowadays, businesses are on the lookout for working professionals who have strong interpersonal skills such as leadership, management, crisis management, problem-solving, analytical thinking and so on. In addition, communication is one of the essential skills that have come into the light to minimise various operational challenges that a business faces regularly. These skills are particularly essential in firms that require a high level of interaction with clients and customers to provide them with better outcomes. As a result, firms as well as leaders need to invest time and money in mastering these skills and search for the opportunity that values and rewards these skills.

Upskilling and reskilling

With technological breakthroughs at all-time high, there is a greater demand for qualified leaders who have solid technical as well as other skills in new-age organisations. Companies are quite evident and eager to create an employee-friendly working environment, but they also want to promote upskilling and reskilling for the advancement of their personnel. Upskilling occurs when a person develops new skills or improves existing ones that can provide value to the organization. On the other hand, reskilling entails learning new skills for an existing role in a new domain. Though, these ideas have been around for a long time. However, they will gain prominence in the coming future too.

Personalised learning

It is undeniably true that given the evolving requirements, the importance of personalised learning has gained prominence. When it comes to professional development and learning, the idea of ‘one for all’ may not always be adequate. Executive learning platforms of the present-day scenario are encouraging customised and flexible learning, which are playing a critical role in the development of organic skills. The learning concept is being built with customised content to meet the learner's specific needs and goals. Further, when it comes to personalised learning the most effective approach is meeting the learner's needs and assisting them with the desired result.

Entrepreneurship education

Entrepreneurs are an unavoidable part of today's ever-changing economic landscape. With an increasing footprint of startups, India's entrepreneurship landscape is continuously thriving. According to the Economic Report 2021-22, approximately 14,000 new businesses were established during the fiscal year. With the incremental expansion of new companies, the market's demand for skilled labour is also on the rise. In reality, one of the driving forces behind professional skill enhancement and reskilling is the plethora of learning solutions that have come into being at various price points across domains, languages and locations. These platforms prepare senior leaders to start their businesses and provide them with a wide range of courses and programmes to shift their occupation trajectories.

Skill development and reskilling: demand for businesses

Long gone are the days when there was no need for white-collars to hone their skills. However, in the modern era, professional skill development and reskilling have gained significance due to shifting economic conditions, labour market demands, advancements in technology and educational approaches. In fact, as the world of work continues to evolve, skill enhancement and reskilling are going to be a must-have for leaders in the present and beyond.

Additionally, a number of platforms have emerged that offer a variety of courses and programmes to help C-suite leaders and business executives advance or change their occupational trajectories. As a result, adopting new trends has become essential for professionals in order to stay competitive.