Close
The fast pace of technological innovation has become a big challenge for businesses. Is technical upskilling the answer for employers?
In a world of rapid technology changes, university graduates are being told that their learnt technical skills will become redundant within months of graduating. Meanwhile, employees are struggling to keep up with the pace of change and seeking further development so they’re not left behind.
As company margins tighten, however, many businesses are left trying to justify the cost of ongoing training for their employees. So is it worth investing in technical upskilling for your IT professionals?
Short term versus long term
In the short term, it may seem like a lot of money to invest in an IT training program for your staff. Businesses can expect to pay several thousands of dollars per employee for particular IT certificates and diplomas. But when looking at the big picture, investing in upskilling could save your company some serious cash.
For example, the cost of technical training can far outweigh the financial burden of experiencing a high turnover of staff looking for growth and training opportunities with other companies. An upskilling program is also attractive to future employees – if your company is renowned for recurring training, you will attract a higher calibre of applicants.
Government initiatives
For companies that need financial help with funding upskilling programs, there are a number of government-led initiatives to offset training expenditures.
Take a look at the Department of Education and Training’s MySkills website, which has details on technology-related courses available across Australia. In NSW, the Upskilled program partners with the Microsoft Academy to provide courses across networking, IT support, systems administration and website development. Meanwhile, the Advance Queensland Knowledge Transfers Partnerships program provides up to $50,000 for businesses to hire a graduate to work on an innovative project. Companies can also search for government grants and assistance that will help subsidise costs for their businesses.
While eligibility requirements differ between schemes, incentives are generally restricted to Australian citizens, permanent residents or NZ passport holders with more than six months’ residence.
Benefits of upskilling
Improvements in morale, staff retention and productivity are just some of the benefits businesses will reap if they choose to implement an upskilling program for their employees.
Without an upskilling program, your IT employees may look elsewhere for training and development. Keep their attention on your business with consistent and quality training programs, and avoid paying hefty recruitment costs to attract the best talent to your organisation.
Your company’s talent is your biggest asset so invest in it and see your employees invest in your business in turn.
Discover where IT training and talent are heading in 2016 with our free infographic.
Dr. Hugh Bradlow, Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, shares his insights on the growing cybersecurity war, and how to manage risks and resilience in a world of unknowns.
Innovative businesses are looking beyond using Artificial Intelligence to streamline repetitive tasks. They are creating ways for AI to transform the way they do business. Are you keeping up with this trend? Access your "AI savviness" with four key areas where it’s is already transforming business workflows.
With modern technology, the healthcare sector is becoming more connected with an increasing number of ‘things’ now using software, for example medical devices. It’s creating a new world of cybersecurity concerns, but how does the healthcare sector measure up when it comes to managing Information Security?
In this digital world, data management is a significant responsibility and a data breach is an equally significant risk. Should things go wrong, businesses must take steps to minimise the impact. With the changes to the Privacy Act coming into effect this week, Andrew Giles, Head of Public Relations and Communications for Canon Australia, shares insights on how to preserve trust and maintain strong customer relationships.
If you're on the Internet, you face security risks. You can no longer afford to assume that your business won't be a target because you're not big enough. Here are some big business takeaways that can substantially benefit your business' security.
Ever heard of blockchain? Best known as the technology that enables controversial cryptocurrency Bitcoin, blockchain could be one of the most significant IT developments of our time.
With the technology landscape changing quickly, so too are IT jobs. But what are the most in-demand roles, and which skills do you need to stand out?
Discover how small businesses are using insights gleaned from data mining to rethink operations, offerings and outlooks.
E-waste is one of the fastest growing components of the waste stream. Discover why your company needs to consider enforcing take-back or recycling policies.
How can your team utilise IT solutions for your company's business problems? Discover here.
Do you know how much your business should spend on security to protect its big data?
Contact us
