E-learning and LMS blog articles

When designing a comprehensive L&D strategy, components such as compliance training, onboarding programmes and upskilling programmes will be a key priority for many organisations. On the other hand, despite the many associated benefits, reskilling programmes are often overlooked. In this blog, we’ll discuss why reskilling programmes should sit at the heart of your L&D strategy and how to deliver them with the help of e-learning software.

What is reskilling?

Reskilling simply refers to the acquisition of new skills and knowledge that an employee doesn’t currently possess – usually because they aren’t required for their current role. Where L&D initiatives such as onboarding and upskilling are designed to help employees develop skills to perform their current role effectively, reskilling prepares them for a different role.

For example, a receptionist at a sales agency may enter a reskilling programme which enables them to develop skills that in turn allow them to progress in their career by moving to a new role such as a customer service position. This reskilling course may include modules designed to improve product knowledge and negotiation skills, both of which are not required to effectively perform their current role as a receptionist.

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Why should you include reskilling programmes in your L&D strategy?

Tackling job displacement caused by automation

A 2022 report found that 14% of workers experienced job displacement due to automation, and with rapid advances in new technology, it’s likely that this number will continue to rise. Many people who have lost their jobs to automation will be forced to reskill in order to take on new roles.

Introducing elements of automation into relevant roles can increase efficiency and productivity levels as it can speed up manual processes or help reduce the number of human errors. For many organisations, however, replacing an entire role with automation technology is unlikely, as there are still a number of tasks within a role that are best performed by a human. Instead, employers may ask employees to take on new responsibilities to make up for the time freed up by the use of automation technology.

Whether asking employees to take on new responsibilities or moving them onto an entirely new role, the development of AI and automation technology will result in many organisations and their employees finding themselves in need of structured reskilling programmes so that they may adapt and thrive.

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Creating an agile workforce

When a business or organisation is going through a period of change, such as changing its structure, scaling up, or downsizing, having an agile workforce that can easily adapt is the key to success. One of the ways to achieve this is to ensure that employees possess a broad range of skills that don’t necessarily pertain to their own roles and current positions. Delivering reskilling programmes that allow employees to expand their skill set beyond their essential competencies allows them to be flexible and take on alternate responsibilities or roles when required. As a result, organisations can react quickly and maintain operational growth and efficiency by simply sharing new responsibilities amongst existing staff.

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Encourage employee succession

Any employee will want to be given the opportunity to learn new skills and progress in their career so working for a company that offers reskilling programmes is hugely beneficial and attractive for potential new hires and existing employees.

When it comes to filling in job vacancies, research has shown that training existing employees and hiring internally can result in significant financial savings when compared to hiring externally. Reskilling programmes provide existing employees with the opportunity to acquire the relevant skills and knowledge required for a new role. When compared to the onboarding process which will cover elements such as company policy or training on how to use company software, internal hires will simply need to complete training that allows them to close skills gaps to perform in their new role.

When an organisation encourages existing employees to take on new positions and provides the resources and training required to achieve this, it can lead to increased levels of job satisfaction, company loyalty, and productivity.

Want to know more about succession planning with the help of e-learning? Find out more here.

How to deliver reskilling programmes with e-learning software

Incorporating reskilling programmes into your core L&D strategy will require careful planning and structure that allows it to seamlessly integrate with other components such as induction training. The best way to achieve this is to use powerful e-learning software, taking advantage of the many features and functions that come with solutions such as a learning management system (LMS) or talent experience platform (TXP). Some of the ways to utilise this functionality and leverage it to deliver comprehensive reskilling programmes include:

• Creating custom learning plans – Using an LMS, admins or L&D managers can create customised learning plans for employees looking to reskill. These can be personalised to suit the specific training needs of each individual. For example, a sales assistant looking to become a retail manager will be assigned a learning plan that includes any relevant courses, lessons and assessments that allow them to develop essential skills and knowledge for their new role.
• Creating competency frameworks – To ensure that an employee has obtained the essential skills and knowledge required to effectively carry out additional responsibilities or take on a new role, organisations will need to gain data-driven insights. With an LMS or performance management system such as Totara Perform, admins can create competency frameworks, map skills to learners and track progress by monitoring which training activities have been completed.
• LMS assessments – For managers looking for evidence of knowledge acquisition, assessment features in an LMS are a truly effective way to achieve this. Assessments can be designed to test whether an employee has retained the skills and information that they have been taught throughout the reskilling programme. For example, admins can include an end-of-course assessment with multiple-choice questions.
• Creating a library of reskilling content and courses – When employees are looking to explore new potential roles and progress in their careers, it’s beneficial for them to experiment so that they can rule out roles that aren’t suited to them. With an LMS, organisations can provide employees with a diverse range of reskilling content that allows employees to consider new opportunities without having to commit to a new role.

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Choose Hubken to deliver powerful reskilling opportunities

Many organisations are already experiencing the benefits of incorporating comprehensive reskilling programmes into their existing L&D initiatives by using powerful e-learning software. If you’re ready to find out what our e-learning solutions can do for your L&D strategy, including delivering reskilling opportunities for your employees, get in touch with one of our e-learning experts today or book a free demo to see our platforms in action.