As highlighted in the Reskilling and Upskilling: A Strategic Response to Changing Skill Demands, the Cambridge dictionary defines upskilling as the process of learning new skills or of teaching workers new skills, while reskilling is the process of learning new skills so you can do a different job, or of training people to do a different job. Both are effective strategies for employers to combat what is expected to become a perennial skills shortage.

Reskilling means looking for people with ‘adjacent skills’, that are close to the new skills your company requires. It provides a lateral learning experience that can help with the vast amount of reskilling required of employees in the modern workforce. The World Economic Forum estimates that half of all employees will require reskilling by 2025 due to technological advancement.

A culture of upskilling, on the other hand, means teaching employees new, advanced skills to close talent gaps. It involves keeping your team members involved in continuous education and helps them advance along their current career path.