Reskilling

A change in the work someone is preparing to do

Cedefop’s reskilling glossary defines the term around developing skills for a new occupation or professional activities. The destination matters: learning a new system used in the same job may be upskilling, while preparing to work in a different occupation is reskilling. The boundary depends on the work involved, not on whether the employer calls a course a reskilling programme.

Reskilling may happen before an internal move, during a career change or as an organisation’s work changes. Redeployment is a possible next step when an employer places someone in another role, but it is a separate decision. Training can also be useful without an immediate transfer.

Connect the learning to a real destination

Begin with the tasks in the destination role and the skills a person would need to perform them. Then identify what the person already knows, what needs to be learned and what practice would help bridge the gap. A support specialist preparing for a quality-assurance role, for example, may need to learn how to document repeatable tests and report defects; that is an illustration, not a standard route between occupations.

Cedefop distinguishes reskilling from upskilling, which develops or updates skills for a person’s existing work. The terms describe different learning directions. Neither specifies how long the training takes or guarantees a job outcome.

Check whether the plan is workable

A credible plan names the destination work, gives time to practise, and includes feedback against the tasks involved. It also accounts for the person’s existing workload and the support available. If the destination changes, the learning plan may need to change too.

An employer can review completed practice against the role’s requirements, while keeping the decision about readiness separate from course attendance.