5 Reasons You Should Think About Upskilling in 2015

The modern career has changed. Fifty years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for people to stay in the same role at the same company for their entire working life. Now, people will often have several careers throughout their lifespan and are likely to work in more positions in more companies and organisations than previous generations. For many people, what this means is that a diverse range of skills are needed to keep a career moving forward. Read on to find out five reasons why keeping your skills current will help you futureproof your employability.

1. It’s Easier than You Think to Combine Work and Study

Gone are the days where completing a course meant you had to spend fulltime hours in a classroom. Today, flexible delivery is the norm – you can choose between physical classes, online study, or a mixture of the two. Many education providers, such as Evocca College, make it even easier to complete courses in areas like business training by letting you commence at any time and choose your own schedule.

2. There Are Limited Upfront Costs

In the past, to study specialist or general business courses, you’d need to either complete a full bachelor’s degree or pay some hefty tuition fees on the spot. Now you can usually pay for any level of education via deferred government payment schemes, so whether you want to complete a Doctorate of Psychology or a Diploma of Business, you can start studying immediately – often without paying a cent upfront.

3. Qualifications Validate Skills

If you have significant work experience, you can often get recognition for prior learning (RPL) to use towards credits for formal qualifications. Even if you do have to complete the theory work and assessment, having completed a relevant course helps to demonstrate to potential employers that you are not only committed to your career, but have proof that you have the skills and knowledge you’re claiming on your resume.

4. You Can Follow Your Dreams

With the freedom and flexibility around studying, it is easier than ever to do a complete 180 on your current career and start pursuing your passion. Even if you aren’t in a position to abandon your current role and throw yourself fulltime into your studies, you can start working towards where you eventually want to end up.

5. You Can Earn More Money

Even if you are completely happy with where you are, completing some additional study or gaining new skills can help make you even more valuable as an employee. If your company isn’t in a position to renegotiate wages, you may be able to use your qualifications as leverage to work some non-monetary perks, like flexible work arrangements, into your contract to reflect your enhanced abilities.

Recent years have seen some of the most tumultuous economic and trading conditions of recent times, with significant restructuring and redundancies being experienced across most sectors. Even though you can use upskilling as a way to drive your career to where you want to be, it is also an excellent way to make sure that you stay employable now and into the future.