Across the country, employers and job seekers are frustrated. Hiring managers can’t find the talent they need, while millions of workers feel stuck in their jobs with no path forward. More than half of workers say they want to develop new skills, but their current jobs don’t offer a path. 

At the same time, employees who leave in search of new skills or more upwardly mobile jobs cost businesses billions, as well as valuable institutional knowledge and productivity. 

What if they could grow talent and skills while working full time? That’s the opportunity behind upskilling — programs that allow existing workers to earn certifications and build new skills as full-time employees. Companies like CVS and Amazon have already realized the potential, and many others are following suit. 

“It means putting you on the pathway to economic mobility,” said Steve Lee, CEO at SkillUp Coalition. “Upskilling is the stepping stone to being able to grow in a way that meets the worker where they are.”

Here, Lee outlines four practical ways employers can implement upskilling to strengthen their workforce. Doing so isn’t just a way to keep employees satisfied; it can increase retention and productivity and improve a company’s bottom line. And with the high cost of employee turnover, upskilling is no longer just “nice to have” — it can be essential.

Four key ways to successfully implement upskilling in your company

Right now, many employers might be thinking, “Upskilling sounds nice, but it comes at too big a cost to gamble on.”

In reality, the employers who wait will pay the price. 

According to Lee, there are many myths surrounding upskilling that may keep employers from trying it out. 

“It costs money, it costs time," Lee said. "Too often, individuals without degrees get overlooked because of the myth that they aren’t high-quality talent or can’t develop the right skills. The truth is, they’re often some of the fastest learners, most dedicated workers, and just need the right training to show what they’re fully capable of.” 

So, how can employers implement upskilling at their companies and make sure it’s effective?

1. Offer no-cost, on-demand career training as an employee benefit — but target your efforts 

Lee suggested thinking of upskilling as a benefit, "almost like a 401(k)."

“The hardest part, whether you’re an in-company worker or an unemployed or underemployed worker, is taking the first step," Lee said. “There are financial, personal, and behavioral reasons why people don’t take that step. But if you can offer career training as a benefit, then it de-risks the doubts, which are, ‘I don’t have time to do it.’ [or] ‘I don’t have money to do it.’”

2. Work to understand an employee’s individual trajectory, and help them visualize it

“SkillUp has a saying,” Lee said. “'One of the challenges of getting people to a better place is having them doubt their own self-doubt.'”

Before a worker can choose which upskilling paths will best meet their interests, talents, and goals, they first have to identify them. Employers can play a crucial role in helping them figure it out. When they do, those workers are often “more motivated and more committed," Lee said, having linked their daily work to a higher purpose and mission.

Mentors and coaches can be valuable ways to accomplish this. Lee cautioned against simply “having an executive come in and talk for an hour,” and instead endorsed fostering long-term, sustainable, scalable relationships. 

“It takes time. … but to unlock this purpose and aptitude, to have their very best workers, to have the very best company, I would argue they should put in a little bit of effort and time to develop the workers. Otherwise, you’re not going to be a world-class company. You’re just not.”

3. Make sure that guidance focuses on individual workers, not just the larger company

To use upskilling to its fullest potential, it’s best to narrow in on each worker’s unique background, talents, and aptitudes before looking at the larger mission of the company.

“Offer information that’s tailored to the individual,” Lee said. Whether through mentorship or while checking in with managers, leaders should have one-on-one conversations, and try to offer upskilling opportunities and subsequent career pathways that are bespoke rather than one-size-fits-all.

Alongside the specific, often technical skills that upskilling frequently promotes, Lee also urges organizations not to forget the importance of fostering durable skills too.

“Durable skills like teamwork, collaboration, grit, and a sense of purpose — the workers that people really want are the ones that [have those qualities],” Lee said. “Individual learning, growth, purpose, aptitude, all those kinds of things are much more important [than technical skills].”

4. Build space for risk-taking and experimenting into company structures

Corporate culture celebrates wins and discourages failures — but Lee thinks that’s stifling learning opportunities.  “If you want curious workers, you have to celebrate them trying to learn and making mistakes,” Lee said. “Learning equals risk.”

The challenge is not just to say you embrace mistakes, but to actually build it into your company. Lee suggests employers consider making job descriptions, performance reviews, and even bonus requirements tied to growth and experimentation. That will require trust: employers will have to believe in frontline workers’ potential, while workers will have to believe that employers will deliver on their promises.

If both sides are willing to work together, the payoff can be huge. Instead of spending to recruit new hires, companies can grow talent they already have — boosting satisfaction, retention, and the bottom line.

Upskilling is ready to take hold. Here’s how to open the floodgates.

For all of its promise, right now upskilling to fill open roles internally is the exception, not a standard accepted practice. How will that change?

The more companies experiment with and implement upskilling programs, the more robust they will become. Increasing demand for upskilling can create a positive cycle that continually tests, assesses, and improves best practices. Organization leaders should share their experiences, best practices, and concerns, particularly with other leaders in the same industry.

Lee also thinks there could be some creative ways for upskilling programs to spread throughout the workforce.

Experiential learning could also be a way to ease into upskilling programs. Instead of immediately taking on a six-month learning program within a company, organizations can test out more short-form programs.

Lee thinks that AI should be harnessed as  a tool to help workers explore.

No matter how it happens, Lee knows that upskilling on the job has the potential to fill labor gaps, increase company productivity, and help entry-level workers unlock a new path to economic mobility, all in one.

“There's a broken cycle right now between how workers and companies think about themselves within the structure of the workforce," Lee said. "Employee training benefits help to unlock that. When you empower someone to take that next step towards acquiring new skills, they’re not just filling a role—they’re bringing real commitment back to the company. You’ll have people who are growing, thriving, and giving their best. Everyone wins.”

SkillUp Coalition is supported by Stand Together Trust, which provides funding and strategic capabilities to innovators, scholars, and social entrepreneurs to develop new and better ways to tackle America’s biggest problems. 

Learn more about Stand Together’s efforts to transform the future of work and explore ways you can partner with us.