Upskilling and reskilling are two new words but actually refer to a concept that has been discussed for at least twenty years: continuing education. It is an issue that has now become fundamental both for companies and more generally for the economic and social development of our country.
In the face of the continuous acceleration of digital technologies, it is certainly not possible to be lulled into thinking that individual forms of adaptation can be found. It is necessary for companies to equip themselves to cope with the new reality of a changing scenario through appropriate training paths.
Upskilling and reskilling are cross-cutting issues that affect all workers, not just lower-skilled jobs, as some mistakenly think. Precisely because of technological evolution, everyone will need, albeit to varying degrees, to upgrade their skills.
How to deal with this important challenge?
Looking at the scientific literature, we can try to give some answers. In an article published in the journal Information Systems Frontiers entitled "Reskilling and Upskilling the Future-ready Workforce for Industry 4.0 and Beyond." which reviews the different ways to address the issue of upskilling and reskilling, special emphasis is placed on experiential training paths. These are training models that involve active participation through educational methodologies used in innovation pathways (such as design thinking) and that take place outside of traditional curricular training paths (secondary and tertiary education). In fact, in the article they are identified as "non-traditional," we could translate as unconventional. They are activated on the basis of specific needs and with a limited duration in time.
According to the article, the flexibility provided by these pathways increases their effectiveness and is a particularly useful tool for businesses because it can be activated on demand.