UPSKILLING DURING THE COVID-19 ERA
Why now is the most important time to sharpen your skills
The impact of Covid-19 has had a profound impact on the employment and labour market around the world. Career plans have been temporarily put on hold while many are looking at new paths and opportunities.
We have seen a sudden implementation of remote working with the Carnivorous. Even before lock-down, there has been a significant acceleration in digital transformation and automation. New technologies such as AI are shaking up the status quo and traditional markets are being disrupted on a global scale.
The way we work is changing at an astonishing pace and the current situation has highlighted a definite need for a more digitally literate workforce.
With change comes the need to adapt which in turn brings new opportunities. Many people are using this period of uncertainty as an opportunity to invest in themselves and are upskilling or reskilling in order to become future-ready.
Developing or updating your skill set can help to keep your CV fresh and increase your value to prospective employers and recruiters. It is also a great way to challenge yourself, learn something new, and feel a sense of achievement.
MASA Outsourcing Group Director, Wayne Stainforth says, ‘Our goal is to provide the very best people for our clients. We want to see candidates who are motivated, take initiative, and go the extra mile’.
How to get started
There are many ways to build your skill set, both formally and informally. You could take short courses, continue studying, get some volunteer experience, do an internship or find a mentor in your chosen field to help advise you. It doesn’t need to be expensive and you are never too old or young to learn something new.
From learning to get the best out of Microsoft Outlook, improving your everyday maths, presenting your work with impact, graphic design, coding in Python to the fundamentals of digital marketing, there are a number of resources that are free or inexpensive. Many of these short courses can be taken on a flexible basis around your other commitments
A few examples of short course providers include:
Lifelong learning is becoming part of the ‘new normal’ and it is more important now than ever for both companies and individuals to build their skill sets in order to adapt and thrive.
Please see our jobs page for our current jobs from our offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for career updates and a weekly breakdown of our latest roles.
Please note that we do not have any affiliations with any of the course providers and act as a general resource tool only. The terms and conditions of use of the course providers are set out on their websites, including any relevant disclaimers.
