Upskilling, Reskilling, & Preskilling in Healthcare

The healthcare industry in the United States is grappling with a significant worker shortage. And considering the essential role healthcare plays in our lives, the stakes are high. Reasons for the shortage range from burnout to the high barrier to entry for specialized roles.

While solving the healthcare worker shortage will require a variety of solutions, there’s at least one remedy within the control of healthcare companies: skill development.

Upskilling, reskilling, and preskilling can contribute to maintaining and making the most of your workforce. Let’s explore these three applications of skill development, how they can be effectively employed in the healthcare sector, and how they improve retention and engagement on your team.

The Benefits of Skill Development

Skill development aids in filling critical gaps within an organization. As the healthcare industry combats staffing shortages, supporting existing staff through ongoing skill development ensures that crucial roles are filled—mitigating the impact of the workforce deficit like attrition.

Offering opportunities for growth and learning can foster a sense of loyalty and commitment among your staff. In an industry where skilled professionals are in high demand, retaining talent is paramount for the seamless functioning of healthcare organizations—and ultimately providing high-quality patient care.

Investing in talent through skill development initiatives is a robust strategic move for long-term success. By nurturing the capabilities of existing employees, healthcare organizations can not only address immediate staffing challenges but also build a resilient and adaptable workforce that is ready to meet current and future demands.

Types of Skill Development

The three types of skill development we’ll focus on are:

Upskilling: Developing new skills to expand one’s skill set in their current role
Reskilling: Developing new skills to fulfill a new role
Preskilling: Developing new skills in preparation for future employment

Engraining upskilling, reskilling, and preskilling practices into your organization pay dividends in retention and engagement. It can also:

Reduce turnover
Increase productivity
Cultivate an adaptable team prepared for future challenges

You can start small, introducing steps that are sustainable and manageable. You may also have some of these practices already running within your system. In any case, let’s detail what these various skill development practices look like within healthcare.

Upskilling in the Healthcare Industry

Upskilling in healthcare can take various forms. For instance, nurses might undergo training to acquire advanced technological skills required for the operation of state-of-the-art medical equipment. Administrative staff may enhance their data analysis skills to contribute more effectively to decision-making processes.

Examples of upskilling in the healthcare sector include specialized training programs for medical professionals to acquire new expertise in telehealth technologies, advanced life support techniques, or the latest medical software applications.

Tactics when implementing upskilling include:

Personalized learning paths. Personalized learning involves customizing educational experiences to meet the specific needs and preferences of individual learners. In the context of upskilling, this means creating unique learning paths for each employee based on their existing skills, learning styles, and career goals.
Mentorship programs. Mentorship programs facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills from experienced professionals to those seeking to upskill. These programs can also provide opportunities for networking across partnered organizations, encouraging lasting professional relationships.
Continuous feedback loops. Upskilling isn’t a “one-and-done” process. To ensure that the acquired skills are not only relevant but also integrated into daily practices, learners should receive ongoing evaluation and assessment of their progress. Additionally, recognition of progress and accomplishments reinforces the value of upskilling efforts, contributing to a positive learning culture within the organization.

Check out: Clinical Upskilling — Building Your Workforce By Investing in Your People and Community

Reskilling in the Healthcare Industry

Reskilling is a valuable strategy that addresses changing job requirements and evolving needs within your organization. It can create opportunities for lateral internal mobility—not moving up within a linear career path but shifting paths all together. For instance, a healthcare professional might transition from traditional nursing to a health informatics specialist role, which requires a different set of skills like data analysis, information management, and different IT proficiency than their nursing role had.

Reskilling initiatives in healthcare can look like structured training programs for:

Professionals shifting from clinical roles to managerial positions
Administrative roles to patient advocacy roles

Tactics for reskilling can look like:

Assessments and diagnostics: Diagnostic tools, such as competency frameworks and aptitude tests, help determine where existing members of your team can best serve the organization while playing to their strengths and remaining engaged. These tools can identify areas for improvement and guide the development of targeted training interventions.
Hands-on training: Incorporating practical, hands-on training experiences enhances the effectiveness of reskilling. This could include simulations, real-world projects, or opportunities for on-the-job learning, allowing individuals to apply their new knowledge in a practical setting.
Robust transition support: Regular check-ins with newly reskilled employees allow for challenges, concerns, and needs to be addressed promptly, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning. Peer support can also ease the transition.

Preskilling in the Healthcare Industry

Preskilling (arguably the newest concept among these three) is particularly relevant in the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare. The healthcare professionals of the future may need extra support as they enter the industry. Nearly half of recent college graduates haven’t even applied for entry-level work because they feel unsure of their skills. Organizations that need to employ the next generation of talent (hint: that’s every organization) have a massive opportunity to fill the “preparedness gap.”

Examples of preskilling in healthcare might be training programs focused on emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence applications in diagnostics or genomics. Additionally, healthcare professionals might undergo leadership and management courses in preparation for future supervisory roles.

Tactics for preskilling include:

Collaboration with educational institutions: Partnerships with universities, community colleges, and vocational training institutions can involve internship placement or joint curriculum development to align educational offerings with the specific needs of the industry.
Internship and apprenticeship programs: Pre-employment programs like apprenticeships involve a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. By offering apprenticeships, companies can mold individuals to meet their specific skill requirements, ensuring a steady supply of talent with a deep understanding of the company’s operations.
Online learning platforms and courses: Companies can invest in or provide access to online learning platforms and courses or collaborate with online learning providers to tailor content to their specific needs. Similarly, they can create or endorse certification programs that validate specific skills relevant to their industry. By offering or supporting certifications, companies signal to potential employees and the broader industry the skills and knowledge they value.

Future-Proof Your Healthcare Workforce with Skills Development

The healthcare industry’s workforce shortage necessitates creative solutions. By understanding the benefits of skill development and exploring specific examples and best practices in each category, healthcare organizations can not only address current staffing challenges but also build a workforce that is resilient, adaptable, and prepared for a successful future of providing great patient care.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, investing in the skills of the workforce becomes not only a necessity but a crucial component for ensuring the industry’s sustained success and the well-being of its communities.