The effects of the pandemic on employees around the world are real. In the US, more than 24 million people resigned between April and September 2021 in search of better pay, new challenges and greater flexibility. In the UK, the rate of resignation has reached its highest level in over a decade and employers are complaining that they are battling to recruit and retain staff.
“COVID has forced us to rethink the way we work and live and how better to balance the two,” asserts Nomsa Seisa, head of partnerships at HyperionDev. She says it’s understandable that employers are concerned about the high level of attrition among their top-performing staff. “The reasons why people are leaving may vary, but it’s certainly true that replacing employees is expensive and the best defence against high turnover is keeping employees engaged through upskilling.”
The advantages of upskilling
According to a recent LinkedIn Workforce Learning Report, the overwhelming majority of employees (93%) say they would stay longer at companies if they invested in their careers. Seisa argues that upskilling is no longer a perk, but something that employees expect. “It significantly lowers staff turnover and helps foster professional growth among employees,” she says. “It further helps increase productivity and attract the best and brightest in the industry.”
Skills development is a sign that organisations value their people and are committed to their success, not just to perform their job better, but to improve their overall career trajectory. “With so many cloud-based learning management systems on offer, skills training is becoming much easier for employees,” Seisa says.
She says online coding courses are increasingly popular among employers as the demand for tech skills have skyrocketed. “IT skills gaps have increased by 155% in three years and over the last decade, skills in data science and AI have become increasingly valuable for organisations of all sizes and across all sectors.”
Coding is for everyone
There is a misconception that programming is only for those who wish to pursue a career as a programmer, but Seisa believes this is totally wrong. “Tech skills are not just for software engineers,” she argues. “Coding skills can come in handy in a range of roles and industries, making an employee with this skill set more attractive and a valuable asset to an organisation.”
Other roles that can benefit from coding skills are product managers, designers, content marketers and marketing analysts. “Today a wide range of industries are desperately looking for people with essential tech skills,” she says, mentioning a bootcamp for lawyers that HyperionDev will soon launch in conjunction with the University of Cape Town.
“In this digital-first era, everyone has to adopt new technologies in order to remain competitive and productive,” Seisa asserts. A recent report by McKinsey reveals that we have entered a new automation revolution and this will have a major effect on employment in the near future. “Nearly every job will change and the overwhelming majority of today’s employees will need to develop new tech skills. Our opinion is that everyone looking to maintain and accelerate their career should do a coding bootcamp.”
A stepping stone to career advancement
Seisa believes that along with the uncertainty of the past two years, the pandemic has brought clarity to many. “COVID has catapulted us into the digital future,” she says. “Almost all companies and businesses have had to evolve into some form of remote work.”
With this clarity, many are seeking to advance and future-proof their careers. “As the largest online platform in Africa for those who want to pursue a tech career, we are well positioned for the post-lockdown boom,” states Seisa. “By studying with HyperionDev, we help an individual to unlock the internal skills they need to fuel transformation. Our programs are equipped to enable individuals and teams to grow, compete and thrive in the digital economy.”
The company’s success stories bear testimony to how studying coding can catapult your career. “We recently helped a student change his career as a waiter to Java developer in months, equipping him with in-demand tech skills to find work and pursue a career with greater opportunities and a more comfortable lifestyle,” she says.
There is no doubt that upskilling employees with online coding courses prepares them for a future fuelled by digital transformation and helps employers to excel in engaging and retaining their talented employees. “Our bootcamps teach you vital computer programming skills that give you a competitive edge in the job market,” concludes Seisa, “whether you’re looking for greater job security, better upward mobility or even a new career, especially during these uncertain times.”
