Long story short: Make continuing education a staple in the workplace

mentoring

Education doesn't have to end with a graduation — employees should be able to keep learning on the job throughout their careers.

This week, EBN took a deep dive into the role education plays in the workforce, and it's clear that organizations are craving intellectual growth. Seventy-four percent of CEOs are worried about the skills of their teams in an increasingly automated and digital world, according to a 2020 PwC report on upskilling and talent. But just 18% reported having made "significant progress" in building upskilling programs.

"Here's the problem: They don't know where to start," says Suneet Dua, chief growth officer for PwC's U.S. products and technology. But the solution can be simple, he explains. Start by establishing a digital baseline for an organization's talent. "What skills do you have? What skills do you want to have? What roles do you want to eliminate and what processes do you want to automate?"

Read more: Want to upskill your workers? Here are 5 organizations that can help

For employers dealing with an influx of junior employees with built-in digital savvy, how can companies and teams create a space for them to grow while leveraging their existing knowledge?

There is no shortage of solutions available to employers to successfully upskill their workforce, including digital tools, new styles of mentorship and partnerships with organizations focused on uplifting all talent. Check out those solutions and more below:

To upskill a company, PwC says to create a 'digital baseline'

When COVID-19 forced industries to get comfortable with remote work, it also forced employees to adopt technologies and digital tools they may have otherwise been able to resist. By October 2020, in fact, McKinsey estimated that the digitization of businesses had already been pushed three to four years ahead of schedule — but that doesn't mean that every worker has been able to keep up the pace. 

And it's largely because they don't know where to start, but PwC is offering companies a roadmap for upskilling an organization at scale, and helps businesses find the best path forward for their unique needs and workforce.

Read more: To upskill a company, PwC says to create a 'digital baseline'

Why professional development and upskilling is vital to women of color

Women of color held just 13% of C-suite roles in 2021, according to a study by McKinsey and LeanIn.Org. To make matters worse, many women of color tend to face a larger gender wage gap than their white counterparts, with Latinas typically paid 49 cents per every white man's dollar, Indigenous women paid 50 cents and Black women paid 58 cents, compared to the average gender pay gap of 83 cents. 

Associate editor Deanna Cuadra spoke with Rubina Malik, senior assistant professor at Morehouse College and strategic adviser at Malik Solutions, on the critical role mentorship plays in getting more women of color into positions of power.

Read more; Why professional development and upskilling is vital to women of color

Boomers, meet Gen Z: How reverse mentoring is building the workforce of the future

Does an employee's seniority dictate whether or not they're able to mentor other employees? Not in this labor market. Reverse mentorship refers to a relationship in which a junior employee is put in a position to mentor a more senior employee, whether it's someone older or simply with a longer tenure at a company. The structure has proved to be helpful in upskilling more senior employees in things such as tech and evolving company culture.

Read more: Boomers, meet Gen Z: How reverse mentoring is building the workforce of the future

A criminal background shouldn't be a life sentence: How to mentor and upskill employees so they thrive at your business

Between 70-100 million Americans have some type of criminal record, according to the Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy organization. Once they leave the justice system, the unemployment rate for those with a criminal background is 27%, according to analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative, compared to the national unemployment rate of just 3.5%. 

How can employers keep a criminal record from permanently stunting an employee's growth and opportunities? Executive editor Alyssa Place explores employers' options, including ViaPath Technologies, an upskilling organization that specializes in upskilling and reskilling formerly incarcerated individuals. 

Read more: A criminal background shouldn't be a life sentence: How to mentor and upskill employees so they thrive at your business
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