The Italian Trade Agency supported Italian technological excellence at an event that attracted over 70,000 visitors from around the world
The 2024 edition of the Web Summit in Lisbon, one of the world’s most important events for innovation and technology, has just concluded. This year, from November 11 to 14, it attracted over 70,000 participants, with more than 3,000 exhibiting companies and the presence of industry leaders, investors, and international media.
In this global context, Italy stood out with a delegation of 32 innovative companies, supported by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the government body that promotes the internationalization of Italian companies and attracts foreign investments. The Italian pavilion, organized in collaboration with the Italian Embassy and Invitalia, served as a showcase for Made in Italy technologies and solutions, offering participating startups and SMEs a platform for visibility, networking, and new opportunities for international collaboration.
Upskilling and Reskilling: What Are the Differences?
In a rapidly evolving and competitive job market, employees and their skills are the greatest asset a company possesses. However, when these skills become obsolete or new technologies emerge, investing in corporate training becomes essential. This training is typically divided into upskilling, which involves expanding existing skills, and reskilling, which focuses on retraining employees for new roles.
Both processes are essential for business success, ensuring that employees’ skills remain up-to-date and aligned with market demands. But how do these two techniques differ, and how can you choose the one best suited to your business?
- Upskilling: This refers to improving an employee’s existing skills to adapt to technological or operational changes in the workplace. According to an article by Boudreau et al. (2018) published in the Harvard Business Review Press, “upskilling involves enhancing employees’ capabilities to perform more complex tasks or adapt to technological advancements, ensuring they remain competitive in their current roles.”
- Reskilling: This involves acquiring entirely new skills to enable employees to take on different roles within the company or in a new sector. As stated in a McKinsey Global Institute report (2020), “reskilling involves teaching employees new skills that enable them to transition into entirely new roles, often in response to technological disruption or shifts in business strategies.”
- Rapidly Changing Skill Requirements: One of the main obstacles companies face is the speed at which required skills change. Continuously investing in synchronous training programs, seminars, and update courses can be costly. Digital platforms for upskilling and reskilling offer a sustainable and scalable solution to keep employees up-to-date with technological innovation.
- Resistance to Change: Some companies have a rigid organizational culture, which is reflected in employees’ natural resistance to reskilling. Overcoming this barrier requires strong internal communication and active involvement from company leadership.
- Resource and Time Management: Designing, testing, and implementing training programs can significantly impact employees’ available time. Planning learning paths that balance daily work and skill development is essential to maintaining high productivity levels.
- Udemy for Business: Offers a wide range of ready-made courses on hard and soft skills, with the ability to monitor employee progress.
- WhoTeach: Our Digital Learning platform for training institutions and companies leverages Artificial Intelligence to create, customize, deliver, and monitor high-quality, tailored courses.
- Docebo: Creates e-learning software to help companies address training challenges, foster learning, and drive business growth.
- Moodle: An open-source platform for managing and distributing online courses.
- Blackboard: Offers advanced features for managing the learning process, including assessment and communication tools.
Both processes are crucial for business success, but understanding which technique—or the right combination of both—is best suited to your business is essential. Specialized consultants, like us at WhoTeach, can guide you from the ideation to the implementation of your training program.
Challenges in Implementing Upskilling or Reskilling Programs
Implementing an upskilling or reskilling program is a fundamental strategy for ensuring business competitiveness, but it also presents several challenges that organizations must address. Let’s explore them together!
Addressing these challenges requires a strategic and innovative approach, and that’s where WhoTeach comes in. Our e-learning platforms, tailored to your upskilling or reskilling program, are continuously updatable and offer flexible, customizable solutions for training your staff.
Top Platforms for Upskilling and Reskilling in 2024
Constant technological progress and evolving skill requirements make it necessary to adopt effective tools for corporate upskilling and reskilling programs. A World Economic Forum report revealed that 80% of workers prefer flexible training options over traditional seminars and classroom lessons. Here are some of the most notable platforms for implementing e-learning services in 2024:
Modern digital tools allow for the creation of educational materials of any kind with just a few clicks, but high-quality courses are not always guaranteed. To make your training investments effective, expert assistance is crucial to identify your business needs and create a tailored e-learning platform.
Conclusion
Upskilling and reskilling are now indispensable for the long-term success of companies. With the right strategies and learning tools, businesses can best respond to market needs and create a work environment where employees feel valued and motivated to grow.
At WhoTeach, we believe that innovation in training is the key to constant and sustainable growth. With our Digital Learning platforms for B2B, our expertise, and our innovative approach, we can create tailored training paths for companies, schools, and institutions, helping you achieve your learning goals effectively and engagingly.
To learn more or book a consultation with one of our experts, contact us at info@whoteach.it or click here!
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