upskill
up-SKIL
/ˌʌpˈskɪl/
To learn new skills or to teach workers new skills, especially to adapt to changes in technology or the economy.
Unlike 'training,' which can be for beginners, upskilling specifically implies building upon an existing foundation to reach a higher level of utility.
The story behind the word. A relatively modern term, 'upskill' gained prominence in the 1980s as the digital revolution began to change the nature of manual and clerical work, requiring workers to 'move up' in their technical abilities.
Word relationships
- retrain: Retraining often implies learning a completely different skill set, whereas upskilling is about advancing in the same field.
- deskilling: The process by which skilled labor is eliminated by the introduction of technologies operated by unskilled workers.
Commonly confused with
- reskill: Reskilling is learning new skills to do a different job; upskilling is learning new skills to do the same job better.
Word family
- upskilling (noun): The process of learning new skills.
Collocations
- upskill the workforce
- opportunity to upskill
- upskill in digital literacy
Example sentences
- "The government has launched a multi-million dollar initiative to upskill thousands of workers in the renewable energy sector." A news report on the future of the workforce.
- "We need to upskill our current staff rather than hiring externally to fill the new data science roles." Corporate strategy discussion.
Memory hook
Think of it as an 'upgrade' for your 'skills'. Skill up to move up.
When not to use
Avoid using it for basic hobbies; it is almost exclusively used in the context of employment and the labor market.
Fun facts
- The term is frequently used by the World Economic Forum in reports regarding the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'.
Related words
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