Upskilling and technology tools to help educators

“Upskilling isn’t just about staying relevant, studies show that it can also boost motivation and self-confidence”

A report by the World Economic Forum on “The Future Of Jobs” says that by 2020, more than a third of the desired skillsets for most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered crucial to the job today.

As technology continues to evolve, so do many sectors of the global economy. And with this reality, comes a growing trend for the need to “upskill” in the workforce.

Simply put, upskilling is defined as the process of learning or teaching new skills, and in today’s digitalised world, it is becoming a necessity to stay relevant. Whether its a vocational worker employed by a manufacturing facility or a financial analyst who relies on software to run numbers for their clients, every job will require some form of new learning in the future.

Those who are educating students and workers also have to be ready to know and teach the skills of the future. Luckily, as technology redefines what work means for everyone, technology is also providing us with access to helpful learning tools like never before.

Here are suggested technology apps and platforms that can be easily integrated into your teaching to help people successfully upskill and refine their knowledge:

Quizlet gives you access to over 350 million study sets on almost any subject you can imagine – for free. Whether a student is studying foundational knowledge, learning a whole new language, or brushing up on technical terms for a job or new certification, you can practice and master the material through Quizlet’s engaging study activities including flashcards, quizzes and games. Teachers also get access to Quizlet Live, the collaborative game that turns study sets into a fun team-based race with participation from every student.

Spark creativity and dialogue in the classroom with the interactive presentation platform, Mentimeter. Using their smartphones or tablets, students connect to your presentation and answer questions you ask, respond to polls you run, and provide feedback on media you play in real-time. The platform allows participants to interact anonymously if preferred, and also allows the user to export results to analyse responses and compare data afterwards.

“The demand for professional growth and development is becoming a key component of all careers”

Teaching or learning a new language? Babbel the top-grossing language app, has 10-15 minute classes, encouraging learning in short, yet achievable bursts. Babbel only uses native speakers for all the in-app audio which helps to master accent and pronunciation in a new language. This ability to get familiar with a new language is especially helpful for students who have recently immigrated or are planning to work in an international capacity.

It can often be hard to juggle both work and school. Remente, the mental health app, focuses on helping users create step-by-step goal plans that can be incorporated into their daily schedules to relieve the feeling of being overwhelmed. The app offers expert tips from leading psychologists and mental trainers on how you can better handle your stress, set goals and boost productivity.

Upskilling isn’t just about staying relevant, studies show that it can also boost motivation and self-confidence. The University of Cambridge found that learning later on in life, no matter what age, increases self-confidence, while another study by the Institute for Employment Studies found that older learners reported higher life enjoyment and greater confidence. This reveals just how important and beneficial it is to learn a new skill no matter when or at what age.

The demand for professional growth and development is becoming a key component of all careers. Where we can help people embrace new learning opportunities, we help them find life-long success. And by embracing technology tools that can aid in the learning process, we can also make the upskilling experience engaging and effective.

About the author: Matthew Glotzbach is the CEO of Quizlet. He joined Quizlet from 12 years at Google, where he was most recently a vice president at YouTube. Prior, he was on the founding team of Google Apps and lead product development for Google Apps for Edu.