ATD, association for talent development

TD Magazine Article

Member Benefit

Word Wiz: Upskill

Content

A verb that means “to improve someone’s job skills,” the word upskill has become an important part of talent development vernacular.

A verb that means “to improve someone’s job skills,” the word upskill has become an important part of talent development vernacular.

By

Thu Oct 05 2017

Loading...

Content

A verb that means "to improve someone's job skills," the word upskill has become an important part of talent development vernacular.

A verb that means "to improve someone's job skills," the word upskill has become an important part of talent development vernacular.

Content

Why?

Why?

Content

Shortening skills life cycles are forcing workers to upgrade their talents faster and more frequently than ever before. That's according to The Skills Revolution , a 2017 report from Manpower Group. The report also found that "jobs requiring higher levels of skills proficiency are growing fastest," while lower-skilled jobs are the ones most likely to disappear due to automation.

Shortening skills life cycles are forcing workers to upgrade their talents faster and more frequently than ever before. That's according to The Skills Revolution, a 2017 report from Manpower Group. The report also found that "jobs requiring higher levels of skills proficiency are growing fastest," while lower-skilled jobs are the ones most likely to disappear due to automation.

Content

For many companies, that means loyal workers who have spent years in positions that require manual or repetitive labor might not be able to add value for much longer. However, that isn't to say such employees aren't valuable—they still possess intimate knowledge of the company's internal processes and culture.

For many companies, that means loyal workers who have spent years in positions that require manual or repetitive labor might not be able to add value for much longer. However, that isn't to say such employees aren't valuable—they still possess intimate knowledge of the company's internal processes and culture.

Content

Perhaps that's why The Skills Revolution indicates that 74 percent of companies offer internal training to upgrade their workers' talents. By moving these workers into high-growth areas such as IT, human resources, and customer relations (three fields the report predicts will experience growth), companies can both protect their cultures and reward the people who helped build them.

Perhaps that's why The Skills Revolution indicates that 74 percent of companies offer internal training to upgrade their workers' talents. By moving these workers into high-growth areas such as IT, human resources, and customer relations (three fields the report predicts will experience growth), companies can both protect their cultures and reward the people who helped build them.

You've Reached ATD Member-only Content

Become an ATD member to continue

Already a member?Sign In

issue

ISSUE

October 2017 - TD Magazine

View Articles

Copyright © 2026 ATD

ASTD changed its name to ATD to meet the growing needs of a dynamic, global profession.

Terms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie Policy