Chances are, if you’ve ever tried to implement organisational change, you know it’s no small task. You might even describe it as really, really hard. So why would we attempt to change such difficult things as people’s ways of thinking and dealing with competence and who is suitable for what? Because it means leaving outdated beliefs over how merits relates to added value in the workforce where they belong (in the past) while supporting and empowering people with potential and the ability to learn.

The future of work won’t be about degrees, it’ll be about learning new skills.

Companies typically want people with years of experience. They want people who are ready to go with minimal additional effort. We love to challenge this thinking by asking how long these peoples skills will be essential? Sure, hiring people with fancy degrees and years of experience might reduce some work in the beginning, but it also reduces your organisation’s’ ability to adapt to change. To be sure, we’re not saying college is a waste of time. But degrees tend to be seen as lifelong stamps of professional competency, perpetuating the illusion that work — and the skills it requires — is static. It’s not. Because what is core today may be obsolete and out of date tomorrow. Our point is, do you really want “fully” competent people from day one, or do you need people in your organisation who will be 110% motivated to learn more and grow with you?

Considering the fact of how quickly the progress within tech is today, companies need to change their ways of thinking and dealing with competence if they want to be a part of the future. They need to be open to new forms of employment, recruitment strategies, and smarter education. Because the future of work won’t be about degrees, it’ll be about skills.

The Upskill Company challenges the education industry by offering time-efficient and qualitative training programs to reduce skill shortages. The core idea of what we do is giving people credit for who they are and what they are capable of, instead of staring blindly on previous decisions and what you list as your merits. When you apply for a role with us, you don’t have to have explicit experience of that role. We look for potential instead because we know that the future is unknown. We hire people who have the ability to learn, to adapt and who can apply their knowledge and competence into any skill and topic. 

For us, competence is about how you solve problems, take on new challenges and leverage new knowledge to advance.