Cambridge Business Association
The Upskilling Imperative
Book

The Upskilling Imperative

5 Ways to Make Learning Core to the Way We Work

Shelley Osborne
McGraw-Hill, 2020
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How can your business and employees thrive in today’s uncertain environment? According to Udemy’s vice president of learning, Shelley Osborne, the answer is creating a personal and corporate culture of continuous learning. In this practical text, Osborne outlines a five-step method for building a sustainable learning culture within your business – including how to foster a love of learning, use feedback effectively and make learning a part of employee workflows.

Summary

To thrive in today’s fast-changing world, embrace lifelong learning.

Technological developments – including machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) – are transforming industries and reshaping career trajectories. While an individual may work for 50 years or more, his or her present skills will become out of date in as soon as five years. While many employers help their employees with learning and development (L&D), traditional approaches no longer suffice. Modern workers need modern learning methods and approaches. Companies today must take a holistic approach to L&D, incorporating learning into every part of their culture and operations.

Individual employees must embrace a growth mind-set and become self-advocates for their learning goals. Team leaders must provide useful feedback, build diverse teams and act as career coaches. Top executives and HR leaders must prioritize and promote learning, build infrastructure to support L&D, and foster an environment in which employees feel safe to push themselves.

Organizations must enable workers to learn when and how it works best for them. They need to...

About the Author

Shelley Osborne is vice president of learning at the massive open online course (MOOC) provider Udemy. She served as vice president of learning and development at FarsideHR Solutions.

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