Have We Been Upskilling and Reskilling the Right Way?
For years, we’ve been preaching the gospel of upskilling and reskilling—helping employees learn new skills to keep up with changing job demands. But let’s be honest: have we really been doing it right? Or have we been taking a one-size-fits-all approach that misses the mark?
Enter right-skilling—a laser-focused strategy that ensures individuals and organisations develop the exact skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market. And let’s not forget pre-skilling, which helps businesses identify skill shortages before they even arise. These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the future of workforce development.
What’s the Difference?
🔹 Upskilling – Learning new skills to grow within your current role.
🔹 Reskilling – Gaining a completely new set of skills to transition into a different role.
🔹 Right-skilling – Identifying and developing only the skills that truly matter to a company’s success.
🔹 Pre-skilling – Anticipating skill gaps and preparing the workforce before those gaps become a problem.
Why Right-Skilling Matters More Than Ever
As Lori Niles-Hofman highlighted in her conversation with Andrea Adams on The HR Hub podcast, companies have been focusing on upskilling and reskilling without truly understanding what skills they need.
For example, job descriptions often list an overwhelming number of required skills—many of which may not even be essential. Right-skilling forces organisations to ask, “What are the most critical skills for success?” and tailor learning programs accordingly.
Instead of looking at entire job roles, forward-thinking businesses are shifting their focus to specific skill sets. This approach allows companies to be more agile, ensuring that employees have exactly what they need to perform at their best.
The Role of Mabili in Right-Skilling
Navigating these changes can be overwhelming, but that’s where Mabili comes in. With expertise in skills-based workforce transformation, we help companies:
✅ Identify the precise skills needed for different roles.
✅ Assess current employee skill levels and gaps.
✅ Implement targeted learning pathways that prioritise the most valuable skills.
✅ Future-proof their workforce by staying ahead of industry trends.
Through our approach, we empower both employers and employees to make data-driven decisions about training and hiring, ensuring that organisations don’t just react to change—they stay ahead of it.
Our collaboration with SkillsTX further enhances our ability to provide strategic insights and tools that make skills-based hiring and development seamless.
The Future: Precision Over Mass Training
The days of generic training programs are over. The future is about precision. Companies that embrace right-skilling and pre-skilling will have a competitive edge, ensuring they always have the right talent with the right skills, at the right time.
So, the question isn’t just whether you’re upskilling or reskilling—it’s whether you’re doing it right.