Seven benefits of upskilling employees

A New Year often brings a new start for many employees looking to progress in their career.

Instead of waiting for your staff to look for opportunities elsewhere, offering chances to upskill will bring benefits for both your employees and your business.  

Upskilling means training existing employees. It enables staff to improve their skills and confidence and allows employers to mould colleagues into key players within the business who help to boost business performance.    

Read on to discover the seven benefits of upskilling your employees. 

1. Keep teams motivated 

Your team will have been focused on meeting the challenges of the past 18 months so now is the time for them to focus on developing themselves. By providing training and learning options through apprenticeships and short courses, your employees will improve their existing skill set and be more likely to stay with your company longer.  

2. Save funds   

Replacing employees is expensive and time consuming. Taking into account recruitment fees, lost productivity and retraining costs, it is said to cost one and a half times their salary to replace an employee. 

Upskilling is a smaller investment than hiring and training a new worker. It also allows you to create a more well-rounded, fully trained workforce which caters to your customer’s needs and increases your team’s effectiveness.  

3. Increase productivity 

Employees that undergo training become more productive in their work. With increased confidence and additional skills, they can complete tasks more efficiently and effectively. An increase in productivity results in better workflow, employee engagement and collaboration. 

4. Retain talent  

One of the main reasons people move on is a lack of personal development and career growth. By upskilling employees, you’ll show that you care about their futures within your business which helps to retain top talent and in turn, keep them away from your competitors. 

5. Focus on soft skills 

New training doesn’t have to mean higher level technical skills. Your employee could be an expert in marketing but may lack the many softer skills needed to manage a team effectively. By offering qualifications such as Management and Business, you’ll gain fully rounded employees that every successful business needs. 

6. Boost your brand reputation  

No one wants to work at a company that doesn’t invest in employee career development. Upskilling improves the overall employee experience as well as your company’s reputation by showing that staff can build their skills for the future. Remember, happy employees are more likely to be brand ambassadors and tell their networks about positive experiences with you.  

7. Futureproof your business 

Businesses across all sectors have faced huge changes, with employees having to take on additional workloads and responsibilities with little knowledge in that field. Upskilling can bridge that skills gap ensuring employees have a diverse set of skills which in turn can strengthen and prepare your business for any future change.  

Upskill with us  

Upskilling can fit around the size of your organisation, your business needs and the qualification you are looking for. From apprenticeships to short courses, we’ve got all the training you need to boost your business.  

If you’re looking to take on your ideal apprentice, we make it easy for you by designing bespoke recruitment plans and shortlisting support to suit your specific needs. 

Find out more about our apprenticeship recruitment service or call our team on 03333 222 666.