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Explaining what you need to know before starting reskilling!

February 5, 2024
  • CBT
  • qualification
  • skill up

The origin of the word "reskilling", which has become popular in recent years, is "Re-skilling". According to materials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, it is ``to acquire/have the necessary skills in order to take up a new occupation or to adapt to significant changes in the skills required in the current occupation'', and in recent years It is increasingly being used to refer to new job types and the acquisition of required skills that will be created in the flow of DX.

This time, we will explain the benefits of reskilling and the qualifications that are effective in proceeding with reskilling.

Why is reskilling required?

Reskilling has gained attention due to major changes in business structures in recent years. Prime Minister Kishida has announced his intention to incorporate reskilling support into the comprehensive policy in 2022. Here are the main reasons why it has become so sought after.

1.Rapid evolution of digital technology

Technology has evolved tremendously in recent years, with new technologies such as robots and AI being developed one after another and becoming widespread. When that happens, some of the technologies and skills that were valuable until now will no longer be needed, and the often-talked-about ``jobs will be taken by robots and AI'' is about to become a reality. . This is already a reality for some jobs, with the Future of Work Report 2020 compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicting that by 2025 there will be 8,500 jobs worldwide as new technologies take hold. It is predicted that millions of people will lose their jobs.

The same goes for engineers who are thought to be digitally savvy. As a result of the rapid shift from on-premises to cloud-based systems, an increasing number of engineers are unable to compete with their traditional skills. Especially for those in their 40s and 50s, if they remain stagnant as they are, there is a risk that their existing skills will become obsolete.

2. Lack of human resources in the DX field

While some jobs will be lost due to the evolution of technology, the need for digital fields such as AI is increasing. The aforementioned WEF 2020 report predicts that 97 million new jobs will be created.

In fact, companies are actively trying to hire human resources who are strong in the digital field. However, compared to the high demand, there is still a shortage of digital human resources, and there is competition for talented people. Since it is impossible to supply digital human resources through recruitment alone, there is a movement to "reskill" surplus internal human resources created by digitalization and utilize them in the digital field.

3.Diversification of work styles

Telework and remote work have become popular due to the coronavirus pandemic. An increasing number of people are aiming for a work style that emphasizes work-life balance and a safe working environment, rather than working long hours at a company as they have in the past.

However, in order to put yourself in an environment where you can work remotely or work in a way that emphasizes work-life balance, you need skills that allow you to avoid having to go to the office. Therefore, they need to learn new skills so that they can freely choose how they work. In order for companies to proceed with the introduction of new technologies as part of work style reform, they will need to reskill their internal human resources.

Benefits of reskilling for companies

There are various benefits for companies and organizations to reskill their internal human resources.

1.Can deal with the shortage of DX human resources

There is competition for human resources who can keep up with evolving technology, and hiring costs for companies are rising. Moreover, even if hired, it is unknown whether or not they will actually be able to adapt to the company's operations.

However, if you can utilize in-house human resources, you can reduce recruitment costs. Additionally, since they are familiar with internal operations, they can immediately apply their skills to actual work. There is no need for training or a period to get used to the company culture immediately after joining the company.

2.Employee satisfaction improves

Reskilling gives employees new learning opportunities and growth opportunities, contributing to increased satisfaction and engagement.

When employee satisfaction increases, motivation increases and productivity can be expected to improve. Improving engagement will also reduce turnover rates, leading to the development of human resources who can contribute to business performance over the long term.

3. Generate ideas and new businesses

When employees who have accumulated a lot of knowledge at a company acquire new digital knowledge and skills, they can generate ideas from a different perspective. By uncovering previously invisible value in existing businesses and combining existing businesses with the potential of digital, we can create new businesses that meet the needs of the next generation.

Benefits of reskilling for individuals

Reskilling not only benefits companies and organizations, but also the individuals receiving education.

1. Able to respond to a rapidly changing business environment

There is no doubt that digital technologies such as AI will continue to evolve in the future. The business environment is also undergoing drastic changes, and it is necessary to respond to these changes.

By acquiring knowledge and skills in the digital field through reskilling, you will be able to respond to future technological advances. You will need to continue learning about the evolution of technology, but once you reskill, you will gain confidence and be ready to take on the next challenge.

2. Leads to promotions and raises within the company

People with knowledge and skills in the digital field are extremely valuable to companies. Your value within the company will increase, increasing your chances of promotion and pay increases. There will also be more opportunities to start new businesses. If you can produce results, your position within the company will further increase.

3. Market value increases

Although reskilling is provided by the company you work for, acquiring new knowledge and skills will ultimately increase your market value as a business person. If you decide that you cannot utilize the skills you acquired through reskilling, you can change jobs. In addition, if you work on a new business and achieve results, you can advance your career based on your achievements.

To proceed with efficient reskilling

What you need to know before starting reskilling

Traditionally, learning and skill improvement in Japanese companies has centered around on-the-job training. However, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's materials, ``OJT is skill development in a ``continuous system,'' in which students learn how to do and acquire skills while doing the current job in the current department.Reskilling. This is a ``discontinuous'' type of ability development, and requires more than just OJT, as it allows employees to acquire skills for jobs that are not currently available within the company or for jobs that no one can currently do.'' This cannot be done by extending OJT, which Japanese companies are good at.

It is also asserted that there is no need to bring all of the reskilling content in-house. In particular, digital skills are often common both inside and outside the company, so it is more efficient to utilize external content and platformers as necessary.

What is the use of external content?

Reskilling is a hot topic, and there are many training programs available. The period and cost vary, but the important thing is to have employees work on their own initiative. If you just sit and listen to the training or just do the assignments randomly, you will waste money and time and will not be able to acquire new knowledge or skills.

Therefore, we recommend using qualifications and certifications for reskilling. In order to obtain qualifications, employees must learn independently, so they will naturally acquire knowledge and skills through the process of acquiring qualifications. It can also be used effectively as a way to check the retention of what you learned in the training.

Recommended qualifications for reskilling

When using qualifications and certifications for the purpose of reskilling, we recommend using CBT(Computer Based Testing), where candidates gather at a dedicated Test Center and conduct the test using a computer. Test Result can be obtained more quickly than with traditional paper tests (PBT), and depending on the test, Test Result such as correctness of questions can be checked later with data, so you can review, plan next time, etc. It can be used to consolidate knowledge and improve skills.

We will introduce qualifications suitable for reskilling through CBT recruitment.

IT passport

"IT Passport" is a division of the Information Processing Engineer Examination, and is a national exam based on the "Act on the Promotion of Information Processing." IT Passport is also the first national exam to use CBT.

This exam allows you to comprehensively acquire the basic skills to properly understand IT and effectively utilize IT in your work. Since the content is basic, we recommend it as a first step to acquiring skills in the digital field. It is widely used in corporate human resource development, and recently an increasing number of students are taking it to prove that they have basic IT skills.

Agile software development engineer certification exam

The "Agile Software Development Engineer Certification Exam" is an exam that analyzes and judges agile development skills using an objective scale. This is a development model that is required in today's rapidly changing business environment, and unlike traditional waterfall development, it emphasizes speed. In order to put this into practice, you need to acquire not only technical skills but also human skills such as communication and flexibility. This is a test that we recommend for engineers as they take the next step.

Those who pass the Agile Software Development Engineer Certification Examination will be evaluated as having a wide range of knowledge about Agile, and will be valuable personnel in Agile development projects.

IoT certification

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of so-called "humanities employees" being reassigned to the digital field due to reskilling. In such cases, it is unreasonable to suddenly take an exam for engineers such as the Agile Certification. In such cases, we recommend the IoT test.

The IoT Certification is a certification exam that is aimed not only at engineers but also at everyone involved in IoT. It covers the necessary areas not only from a technical perspective, but also from a marketing, service provision, and user perspective.

summary

Due to the rapid evolution of technology, traditional knowledge and skills are becoming increasingly obsolete. Reskilling is essential for both companies and individuals in order to respond to the rapidly changing business environment. Let's work on reskilling, relying not only on internal content but also on external content.

In addition, when using qualifications for reskilling, we recommend the CBT recruitment exam. Please consider using CBT when planning educational programs for new technologies that may become necessary in the future. Prometric 's CBT has a worldwide network and can be distributed overseas, so you can participate in the reskilling program even if you live overseas.

Questions about introducing CBT, consultation on operation, fees, etc.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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