Companies and younger employees may think that mature workers are not adaptable enough to meet the demands of a dynamic business environment, and are less equipped to provide innovative and effective solutions. For this reason, mature workers need to constantly upskill to keep up with the ever-changing landscape in order to stay employed and well-respected in the workforce. If you are a mature worker who is thinking of making a career switch or upskilling, we share some tips to help you get started. 

1. Embrace Change

Change opens up new opportunities, and having an open mindset allows you to identify and grab these opportunities in time. For example, developing in-demand skill sets that will give you an edge in the workplace. One should always stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and news, as well as highly sought-after skills, so that you can quickly upskill yourself whenever necessary.

2. Never Stop Learning

Mature workers must keep an open mind and constantly be curious enough to learn new things in order to remain competitive. Theories, strategies, and processes that worked 10 years ago may not be applicable today, and could even be seen as outdated. Older workers can pick up new skills and gain knowledge by learning from the younger generation, or enrolling in classes that teach in-demand skill sets, such as signing up for a course to learn digital marketing or data analytics. 

Registering for a digital marketing course at a digital marketing academy lets you learn from experts. This allows you to pick their brain to gain valuable insights about a topic. Having gone through years of learning and doing, industry experts know what works, what doesn’t, and what might work better, enabling them to share about all aspects of a topic to give you a deeper understanding. 

At Smartcademy, the courses provide 100% live guided-learning by experienced academics to help students learn at their own pace but still keep up with the course content. 

Learn More: Tech Courses For Working Professionals

If you’re worried about not being able to commit to learning while working, there are many courses offered by different academies that cater to busy schedules. Smartcademy even offers online classes held over the weekends to provide flexibility for students who are also full-time working adults. 

3. Don’t Break The Bank

Upskilling does not have to be an expensive endeavour. If the cost of enrolling in courses concerns you, you’ll be relieved to know that many academies offer subsidies to help offset the fees. When looking for an education provider, do your due diligence to find out if they provide any type of financial assistance. 

For example, eligible Singaporeans or PRs can get up to 70% funding* under the IBF Standards Training Scheme. The balance fees can also be offset using SkillsFuture Credits* and NTUC UTAP Funding. 

4. Get your employers' support

If you intend to upskill yourself while still working full-time, we recommend that you get the support of your employers so that you can deal with your school without your work disrupting your learning. This includes obtaining your company’s understanding that you will not be able to work overtime on days when you have classes or during your assignment submission period. It is also important to ensure that your learning and assignments will not negatively impact your work. 

Interested in upskilling yourself? Smartcademy is a leading tech educator and digital career transformer in Singapore offering a wide range of accredited courses to help individuals learn digital marketing, data analytics, UX design, and more. Find out more about the available courses here.