Knowing when it’s time to upskill

Up-to-date skills and knowledge are vital for a thriving career. Along with on-the-job experience, networking and a commitment to your sector, upskilling can help take your career to the next level.

Knowing when is the right time to seek out upskill opportunities can be tricky, but often it comes down to personal objectives and individual circumstances. Getting a clear view of where you are in your career and where you want to be will help you create the best path to achieve your career goals.

What is upskilling?

The world is constantly changing and keeping up is essential no matter what industry you work in. Upskilling or retraining is the act of taking part in further learning and/or training opportunities to enhance or update your industry knowledge, learn new skills and grow in your career.

It can be provided or encouraged by an employer within the workplace, or it can be sought out by an individual who wants to increase their skills and knowledge.

How to know it’s time to upskill?

Whether you’re ready to progress in your career or want to broaden your skillset, there are many reasons why you might be trying to determine the best time to upskill.

You want to fill gaps or update your knowledge and skills

The world is fast-paced and things are changing and evolving all the time. Retraining can help you get up to date, enhancing the way you approach your work. Taking the time to upskill can make you feel more confident in the workplace and improve your productivity too.

You want to feel inspired in your career

No matter how much you love what you do or the sector you are in, there are times in your career where you will feel less than inspired. Upskilling can increase your job satisfaction and reignite passion for your work.

You want to improve your employment prospects

Deepening your skills through retraining can make you more appealing to prospective employers, now or in the future. You also become more valuable to employers, as workers who upskill are more likely to be self-motivated, productive and innovative within their roles.

You want to advance your career

If a promotion or new position is what you are after, taking steps to gain new skills can help get you there faster. Upskilling can give you the necessary tools needed to transition easily into a new role, take on new responsibilities or manage others in the workplace.

Identifying training opportunities

Once you have decided that it is the right time for you to upskill, you will need to assess the options and resources you have available, in order to get started. Consider what you are hoping to achieve — do you want to gain leadership and managerial skills, or are you exploring new areas of interest within your sector? From here, you can determine which resources you want to utilise.

There are a number of ways in which you can upskill, including:

Work with a mentor

Get paired with an experienced mentor who can support you in gaining new competencies. Your mentor can be in the workplace or outside of the workplace, but should be someone who’s knowledge you can rely on.

Join industry groups and events

Conferences, webinars and publications are full of fresh information to help you stay at the top of your game. Seek them out as a way of keeping your knowledge and skills up to date.

Undertake a course

The most thorough and measurable way to upskill is by enrolling in a relevant course. This can be an option for those who are currently working and those who are not.

If you are not currently working, refreshing your skills can improve your employment prospects and open new doors. Choose a course that complements your existing skillset, adding more value to your credentials. Evaluate your career options and then find out what qualifications and skills are required for those employed in your desired roles.

If you are currently employed, you could explore undertaking a course as a professional development venture with your employer. Professional development definitely benefits you as an employee, and providing upskilling opportunities to staff also has many benefits for companies. These benefits include retaining and motivating staff, increasing productivity and enhancing the standard of the workplace. Of course, you can upskill separate to your current employment, but consider how you might approach any potential practical placement components of your course.

Upskill with an online course

Fitting in work and studying to upskill at the same time has never been easier. Online courses are the perfect way to build on your training at your own pace.

It is also important to have support throughout your studies, which is why our online courses include one-on-one support from a dedicated and experienced trainer. Learners benefit from regular catch ups and help as needed, just as though they were studying on campus but with more versatility. Phone calls, messages, emails and video conferencing are all options provided to keep in touch with trainers throughout the learning journey.

Options to upskill in early childhood

As a leading training provider, Selmar provides learners with opportunities to enhance their skillsets through further study within the early childhood education and care sector. For educators seeking to become qualified in a lead educator position, the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50121) provides the qualifications needed to deliver early childhood education programs for children in centre based and family day care.

In addition, graduates of Selmar’s Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care can also fast-track their career with a Bachelor of Education in either Early Childhood or Primary and study to become qualified as a Kindergarten Teacher.

Upskill today for a brighter tomorrow

Making the decision to upskill can benefit you for years to come. Learning new skills, updating your existing training and expanding your knowledge are vital to building a career that you love.

That’s why at Selmar, we support our learners to upskill and make their career dreams a reality every day.

Get in touch with our team to and learn how to enhance your early childhood education career today!