In today’s rapidly changing workplace, the importance of best preparing students and upskilling the workforce cannot be overstated. Consider this. In the US, 53% of employers struggle to find the right talent, and 61% of graduates say they need to develop or strengthen their digital skills. Meanwhile, only 1 in 10 of India’s engineering graduates are expected to land a job. Things are equally as concerning in the EU, with more than 75% of companies reporting difficulties getting workers with the appropriate skill set. As a consequence, the skills that employees need to be successful are constantly shifting. This dynamic environment presents a significant challenge for companies, in all industries, who are striving to stay competitive and innovative.
What does upskill mean? A definition
A skills gap exists when the skills companies need and the skills that the graduates and their employees possess differs. Decreasing this skills gap and the concept of upskilling itself has become increasingly important in today’s workforce for employees and employers alike. Today, major technological advances drive much of the skills gap we see: there is an estimated digital skills gap of 1,000,000 workers in Europe, and 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next four years, according to The Future of Jobs Report 2023.
What are the benefits of upskilling employees? Why do we need it?
Upskilling the workforce can be a win-win situation for everyone. For university students and recent graduates who have begun their first internship or are new to the job market, those who just started an entry-level position and are future-ready, to the tenured employees who have 20+ years under their belt – everyone need to be conscious of a changing industry and be agile to stay ahead of the competition. When changes and challenges ultimately arise, upskilling ensures prospective employees are in a desirable position to be hired. The benefits of upskilling do not end there though. Benefits also include:
Increases employee retention – When employees feel supported and given opportunities to grow and advance through options like professional certifications they can envision a future with your company and loyalty forms.
Encourages a culture of lifelong learning – Any job can start to feel repetitive after many years, but creating and fostering a culture of continuous learning can help employees feel invigorated by the prospect of their role evolving and presenting new challenges.
Helps your company gain a competitive advantage – Inevitably, as technological advancements occur and industries transform, there will be some companies that will perform and others that fail unless they adapt to the climate. By prioritizing upskilling in your workforce, you can ensure that your company stays ahead of the curve and is given the best opportunity to position itself as a leader in the market.
Fills skills gaps in your company —When the skills gap in your company isn’t addressed, it can lead to vacant positions that require finding the right candidate with the right skill set to fill them. By upskilling your current staff, you can save on thetime and costs required to fill empty seats and allow you to invest in the employees you have today.
How to upskill your workforce? Best practices and strategies
Industry and education both have to partner to make sure that they address the industry transformation and build a more sustainable word. To equip the workforce for change, it will require a variety of methods from university professionals, business executives, industry leaders, and more. Below are best practices and strategies for upskilling the workforce that are proving to be successful.
For students
1. Industry professionals teaching university classes
According to Lionel Roucoules, a professor in the Engineering Laboratory of Physical and Digital Systems at the Arts et Métiers school (ENSAM) in Paris, France, industry professionals teaching university classes can help foster better collaboration between industry and academia.
When industry professionals teach university classes they provide students with an accurate perspective on how that industry is ran and the current and future skills required of the job. “The value of closing the skill gap is to increase the confidence in a win-win approach: Industries can provide recommendations, via steering board for example, or fund some research projects that will in return provide benefits. Academics have more resources to train the next generation of students and to investigate new scientific and industrial issues,” says Roucoules.
At ENSAM, students are also equipped with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. By gaining experience on a revolutionary business and innovation platform, students can hone their skills in multidisciplinary domains, enable end-to-end project management and understand the value of virtual worlds, setting them up to be a desirable candidate upon graduation.
2. Allowing students to solve real-world problems
Hands-on knowledge beyond the activities taught in class – project-based learning – gives students a chance to learn by doing along with traditional lectures and is seen by experts as critical to closing the gap between industry and academia. Having skills like virtual twin operation, simulation, or data engineering are all skills from 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Skills referential that Dassault Systèmes believes are key for the transformation of the industry and getting students industry-ready.
Thanks to their close relationships with aerospace actors and companies worldwide, the French Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO) plays a major role in the sector’s development, offering over 33 training programs designed to specifically answer the industry’s current and future needs.
According to Thomas Zamolo, Collaborative platforms Director, ISAE-SUPAERO, “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is the key tool for cross-curricular teaching in a collaborative environment”.
3. Inviting companies to co-create curriculums with universities
Inviting companies to co-create university curriculums can be an effective way to close the skills gap. Similar to having professionals teach university classes, business leaders who create curriculums or projects for students can provide unique insights into the skills recent graduates should possess to be an attractive candidate upon graduation. Developing a curriculum or project that touches on these specific challenges and skills allows students to gain first-hand experience with the types of projects they will likely to do if hired by that employer.
Valérie Ferret, 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Vice President at Dassault Systèmes believes that type of collaboration has a significant role to play in the transformation journey: “We want to redefine the way academic institutions and businesses collaborate to accelerate the adoption of new methods in industry and transform education through experience-based learning,” she said.
4. Utilize innovation platforms like the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
Experts are agreeing that gaining experience with advanced digital tools used by many employers, particularly for engineering students, can be incredibly beneficial to their training. A platform approach to education can help students hit the ground running with employment by gaining technical skills like MBSE, 3D Modeling, data science, simulation, sustainability, and soft skills like collaboration and innovation.
“By using tools such as Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform during education, students will be far more equipped with the necessary skills they need for success in the workplace,” adds Marion McDevitt, a program manager in the Transformation Office at French semiconductor manufacturing company STMicroelectronics. “It doesn’t have to be as complex as the platforms used by industry, but it should be enough to teach the methodologies, the way of working and the mindset that is required in the real world.”
At the start and throughout an employee’s career
1. Mentorship & shadowing
Mentorship can be an excellent way to help your workforce identify new skill sets they would like to acquire and identify areas of specialization. Most companies already have several experts or “subject matter experts” who are often happy to share their knowledge with less-tenured employees or give advice on how to excel in their industry. Mentorship programs can also be a way for employees to build connections with like-minded people and improve team morale.
2. Empower lifelong learners
While upskilling is often considered the responsibility of those in leadership positions, it also requires employees to take control of their career trajectory and find new opportunities to self-learn. Job training usually happens at the beginning of a new job role and can end there, but this mindset can cause your workforce to remain stagnant. In order to keep your employees engaged and up to speed on the latest trends and skills in the industry, it’s important to provide training opportunities for them – whether in person or virtually.
3. Certifications
Certifications are a great resume builder, a way to continue building your credentials and ultimately stand out from the competition. As the job market becomes more competitive, certifications that show mastery in the most in-demand and industry-specific skills – like Systems Engineering, Modelling or Simulation – can help employees advance their careers and gain the skillsets their company needs.
What is an example of upskilling?
3DEXPERIENCE Edu Centers of Excellence
Some leading companies like Dassault Systèmes, are helping to fill the current skill gap by creating unique learning environments with the goal of building the workforce of the future and preparing it for Industry 4.0. That is why 3DEXPERIENCE Edu has been creating several Centers of excellence around the world to accelerate experiential lifelong learning locally and to build awareness about new skills and processes required of the industry. Each center provides opportunities to use the 3DEXPERIENCE platform expertise needed for the virtual and collaborative leap of the industry, and the reduction of the skills gap. They also rely on Dassault Systèmes’ certification program to validate their skills and knowledge.
More upskilling programs and success stories:
A center to support research on advanced pharmaceutical sciences and healthcare
Long Island University (LIU) in the US is one of these centers where students focus on research with high societal impact to advance the fields of precision medicine and healthcare in the digital age. The center allows LIU students to use virtual twin experiences and provides them with hands-on experience using cutting-edge AI and digital engineering technology in the Life Sciences Industry.
Aso College give students the skills to keep up pace with technological change
Aso Architecture & Design College in Japan provides training in the fields of architecture and design in order to give students the right skills to keep pace with technological change and be able to obtain highly qualified job upon graduation. That’s why they make a keen effort to not only offer courses that closely reflect graduate employment opportunities, but have set up a Learning Lab equipped with 3D printers and virtual reality (VR) headsets for large-scale product design and simulation. Learn more.