The Talent Challenge: Upskilling or Reskilling?
Does your organization face a shortage of skilled tech talent? If so, how do you fill these critical roles efficiently?
- Should you invest in upskilling your existing workforce to enhance their technical capabilities?
- Or is reskilling the best approach—transitioning employees into entirely new tech roles?
Making the right decision can drive innovation, boost employee satisfaction, improve retention, and enhance operational efficiency. The wrong approach, however, can leave key talent gaps unaddressed, slowing business growth.
Per Scholas Tech Talent Solutions offers a strategic workforce development approach. Our customized corporate training programs empower companies to build their internal talent pipelines by upskilling and reskilling employees for high-demand tech roles.
Upskilling vs. Reskilling: What’s the Difference?
Both upskilling and reskilling are essential components of workforce development, but they serve different business objectives.
Upskilling: Enhancing Existing Talent
Upskilling focuses on advancing an employee’s skill set to keep pace with evolving technology. For example, a software developer might learn new programming languages, cloud computing skills, or cybersecurity best practices to stay competitive in the field.
As the World Economic Forum reports, six out of ten employees will require upskilling by 2027. Additionally, 90% of C-suite executives plan to offer upskilling or reskilling for their current employees, according to our recent survey. Digital transformation continues to accelerate, making continuous learning a business imperative rather than an option.
Reskilling: Preparing Employees for New Roles
Reskilling involves training employees—often from non-technical or entry-level roles—to transition into entirely different job functions. For instance, a customer service representative could be reskilled into an IT support technician or data analyst.
By 2026, up to 1.4 million workers will need reskilling support as industries shift toward automation and digital-first business models. Companies that embrace structured reskilling programs will be well-positioned to address skill shortages while improving employee retention and engagement.
When Should a Company Upskill vs. Reskill?
Determining the right workforce strategy depends on your organization’s current talent capabilities and long-term objectives.
Choose Upskilling When:
- Your workforce already has foundational tech skills but needs specialized training to remain competitive.
- You want to improve retention and engagement by providing career advancement opportunities within your organization.
- Industry shifts and emerging technologies require your team to stay ahead through continuous learning and certification programs.
- Your company aims to future-proof its workforce, reducing the risk of skill obsolescence and ensuring employees can adapt to new tools and platforms.
Choose Reskilling When:
- Your company faces a growing talent gap, making external hiring costly and inefficient.
- You have high-potential employees in non-technical roles who could transition into in-demand tech positions with the right training.
- Retaining and redeploying talent internally is more cost-effective than recruiting externally, leading to faster ramp-up times and stronger company loyalty.
- Your business is undergoing digital transformation, and existing employees need to learn new technical skills to support evolving company goals.
Per Scholas Tech Talent Solutions Helps You Scale Talent Development
Per Scholas collaborates with businesses to design customized training programs that align with their specific technology stacks, software development processes, and workforce needs.
Our training solutions focus on high-demand areas, including:
- AI Prompt Engineering
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud computing
- Software engineering
- IT support & networking
- Data analytics
Proven Workforce Solutions: How Leading Companies Leverage Per Scholas
Per Scholas Tech Talent Solutions has partnered with over 850 organizations, including Google, Amazon, Barclays, and Boeing, to develop scalable workforce solutions.
One standout example is our partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal, which has implemented the Grows to Code upskilling program. This initiative transforms frontline employees and field technicians into entry-level software engineers, all while maintaining their full-time salaries. The structured six-month program includes:
- Intensive coding training covering Java, SQL, HTML, CSS, and microservices
- Mentorship and onboarding support for transitioning into engineering roles
- Apprenticeship phase to apply new skills in real-world business projects
By investing in corporate upskilling and reskilling, Comcast has minimized external hiring costs, improved retention rates, and accelerated time-to-productivity.
Future-Proof Your Workforce Today
Technology, tools, and industry needs will continue to evolve. Companies that prioritize upskilling and reskilling will remain competitive in the digital economy.
Let’s build your future-ready workforce together.