4 ways upskilling can diversify your workforce

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For employers, training shouldn't end after the first month an employee is on the job. Instead, continuous learning can keep employees engaged and loyal for the long-term

At Salesforce, the software company is focused on reskilling military veterans for civilian career roles. Their program provides hard and soft-skills training and on-the-job experience, eventually giving veterans the opportunity to apply for a job at the company. The Mom Project has a similar initiative, with a focus on working mothers reentering the workforce. Their program provides free training certifications, mentorship and community to help women get back on the career track. 

Read more: Upskilling gives immigrant workers a chance to restart their careers 

For employers planning to hire new graduates, training is a pivotal piece to getting younger workers up to speed. A few cities in the U.S. are more favorable to recent grads, as locales like San Francisco, Seattle and Austin have a high percentage of job postings geared toward entry level employees. In-demand industries like tech are also appealing for new grads, so employers should be prepared to invest in education and training from day one. 

No matter what level of work or stage of life or career your employees are at, here are four reasons to make education a benefit at your organization. 

Upskilling gives opportunities to underserved communities

Read: How Salesforce is reskilling veterans to work in the tech industry

Military veterans make up approximately 6% of the U.S. workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but they are vastly underutilized. But with the right training, they could be the key to filling much needed tech roles. Salesforce is supporting the veteran community with a 12-week program that includes on-the-job training of tech hard skills like coding, project management and sales, as well as soft skills such as networking, leadership and critical thinking. After they earn their certifications, they can apply for jobs within the company. 

Training can help close damaging wage gaps

Read: Women can make $1 million more in their career through this free upskilling program

At digital career marketplace, The Mom Project, their training and mentorship program is committed to making the transition back to the workplace seamless and supportive for working moms. Since launching in 2020, RISE has offered free technical skills training, mentorship and job placement for thousands of women, with the goal of providing certifications and training to 10,000 participants by the end of 2023. In 2022, the program grew nearly 200%, and 74% of participants were eventually placed in full-time roles, according to their annual impact report.  

You’ll stand out to new grads looking for the right fit

Read: Looking to jump-start your career? These are the 10 best cities for recent grads 

In an effort to help new grads find success, coworking space platform CoworkingCafe ranked the best cities for recent college graduates looking to kick-start their careers. The cities' scores were based on three main categories — employment availability, financial wellness and lifestyle — that relate most to the needs of recent graduates.

Industries with skills gaps will find much-needed talent

Read: 15 best entry-level jobs for the class of 2023

Personal finance resource WalletHub compared 108 entry-level positions, scoring each job out of 100 points based on factors like starting salary, number of job openings, projected job growth by 2031 and number of fatal occupational injuries. WalletHub even measured the likelihood of a position being replaced by a computer, accounting for the growing use of technology like AI in the workplace. However, tech-forward positions like engineers, analysts and web developers made it to the top 15. 
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