– Ms. Safeena Parveen J, Principal, Al-Hira Model School
A skilled workforce is necessary for every organisation. There are numerous industries that are becoming more competitive with significant changes taking place every day. Having access to people who are well-trained, flexible, and skilled in their professions guarantees maintenance of high levels of performance.
The best strategy for employees to perform effectively and consistently is to learn new skills in order to stay competitive specially with automation posing a great threat to the education industry too. It is time for teaching professionals to worry about their jobs becoming outdated within the next five years. In such a scenario, they are left with no choice but to upgrade and upskill.
What is upskilling?
Upskilling, according to Cai, refers to “those smaller skill gaps you are always filling, like learning the Excel skills to make a class result analysis, or practicing a few tips to have better performance conversations with your direct report”. According to her, addressing these smaller skill gaps can position professionals for the next advancement and help them perform better and more productively in their current roles.
What does upskilling encompass?
A professional honing or perfecting a skill he/she already possesses in order to perform his/her work at a higher standard. For instance, teachers who wish to advance to the position of an academic co-ordinator or lead, will need to develop their abilities, so they can not only perform their current duties successfully, but also assist in developing the skills of other team members.
Upgrading an existing ability or skill set to meet evolving needs. In the context of a school, teachers must, for example, update their skill sets to keep up with evolving rules under the educational policies of the government.
A person who is learning an entirely new skill or set of skills. To take on new challenges or to cover a skill gap so they can keep up with the changing times.
How can one ‘upskill’?
As technology provides new employment opportunities and job responsibilities, it is crucial for organisations to fill these new positions with applicants who have the necessary, specialised skill sets. By upskilling their staff, organisations can retain their present workforce, create possibilities for employee growth, and fill vacant positions while bridging the digital talent gap.
Some methods for upskilling include:
• Virtual or online learning opportunities;
• Microlearning; and “lunch-and-learn” events.
While informal ‘upskilling’ can be passed on from faculty who have already acquired them in the form of ‘in house’ training, formal ‘upskilling,’ can be earned through certifications provided by government certified training centers, online courses offered by private training hubs.
‘Upskilling’ at Al-Hira
As our unique selling proposition, we at Al-Hira Model School believe in upgrading not only our workforce but also our students so that they become ‘future’ ready. We understand that engaging teachers in various Capacity Building Programmes organised by CBSE, Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA) and other experts in the field of eduction can bring in the necessary change in the mindset of the teachers. It has been observed that faculty who have just returned from ‘upskilling’ demonstrate high performance on their timelines. They exude confidence in teaching and communicate their thoughts effectively. New techniques and approaches learnt are applied with confidence as they has already been experimented and tested during the ‘upskilling’ workshops or courses.
The staff of Al-Hira Model School have undergone ‘upskilling’ on classroom management, Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and its application in technology integrated classrooms and the New Education Policy to name a few. These upgrades have helped them reframe curricular objectives to suit the needs and requirements of the present times. Another interesting ‘upskilling’ programme in which the staff have expressed keen interest, is the Experiential Learning workshop. Upon completion of the course, they applied in classrooms an ‘engagement’ based learning process whereby students “learn by doing” and by reflecting on the experience. Experiential learning activities can include, but are not limited to hands-on laboratory experiments, internships, practicums, field exercises. It has shown improved interest levels in both the students and teachers where academic inquiry has increased through interdisciplinary learning, civic engagement, career development, cultural awareness, leadership, and other professional and intellectual skills.
The workshop on Art Intergrated Learning has brought out the myriad shades of imagination and creativity of our teachers and students. Art is now an integral component of our pedagogical process. What makes it unique is the fact that post ‘upskilling’, teachers work with the newly introduced approach whole-heartedly, putting in their best voluntarily and not as a result of persuasion by the management.
A ‘growth mindset’ has been observed among the faculty and a classic example for the same could be the online certification course, “Embracing Change,” that was attended at the beginning of the pandemic. It helped us equip ourselves for the necessary attitudinal changes and skills that were required for the online transition. Not only did it provide support to the changed educational scenario but also made them ready to handle the future that would mostly be technology based.
‘Upskilling’ students – A paradigm shift
With a proactive vision in mind, we decided to take ‘upskilling’ to the next level by introducing them to the students to make them future ready. We trust that introducing students to ‘upskilling’ at a young age, enables them in discovering their areas of interest and innate expertise which provides them greater insights in choosing the right career path as they grow up. Coding, which is the most sought after programming skill, has been introduced to students as early as in their primary classes. Along with coding, Artificial Intelligence is also being introduced to the students of the primary classes. These baby steps towards ‘upskilling’ have now led us to brainstorm various other options for students to ‘upskill’ in. In the years to come, we envision our students to be ‘career’ ready when they complete their schooling and give them a head start in today’s rapidly evolving and competitive work place.
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