The workforce is changing every day; this calls for upskilling on the side of employees, as a way of keeping up with the innovations. Just as Wayne Gretzky, a hockey legend puts its “Skate where the puck is going, not where it’s been.” It is with no doubt that it has become extremely important to gain skills that will help you stay relevant in the workforce. Omer Mayobera, a peacebuilding and development practitioner with knowledge in psychology says individuals with the right skillset always work faster and smarter. He notes that such employees are also in position to offer low-cost and high-tech solutions for an organisation. Mayobera notes that since learning never ends, the learning process becomes a lifelong endeavour, which is essential as far as one is still in the workforce. “It’s ideal to understand that there are new ideas in the market now and candidates must stay on top of them to ensure their employability,” he says. The case with technical skills Technical skills are the abilities and knowledge needed to perform specific tasks. They are practical, and often relate to mechanical, information technology, mathematical, or scientific tasks. Some examples include knowledge of programming languages, design programs, mechanical equipment, or tools among others. Gaining these technical skills, according to Mayobera will make you more self-assured when applying to certain industries. Additionally, technical expertise also makes you better at multitasking, giving you the confidence to take on increasingly challenging and complex roles. Dr Andrew E Ivang an educator with the Department of Clinical Biology – Huye Campus, University of Rwanda believes that the good thing about technical skills is that one can obtain them not just through formal education, but also self-learning, on-the-job training, online classes, and even simply observing experts on their job. After acquiring them, he says, it can help when it comes to job searching as one can list them on their CV as an indicator for their proficiency thus standing a chance to secure the job they have applied for. Studies have identified that at the moment, there is no denying the fact that technical skills are becoming more important than before. And that their importance isn’t getting diminished anytime soon. While computers have become easier to use, the cutting-edge technologies being introduced are now more complex than ever. However, these complications shouldn’t scare one away, since the front-end of most technologies is designed to be user friendly. Ivang says one of the most important aspects when it comes to these skills is that apart from becoming more confident in what you do, it also helps one become competent at their work. He goes on to explain that as one develops the necessary skills, at the end of the day, they will definitely begin to feel more comfortable with technology in all its forms. “Many organisations and companies are now striving to employ individuals who leverage available technology to its full potential. For this reason, the more technical skills one gains, the easier it will be for them to adapt to developments in technology,” he says. To achieve this, Mathias Nkeeto an educator says hard skills can be defined and measured therefore, these skills are a lot easier to learn compared to soft skills which are more abstract. He also adds that this, however, can only be achieved if one is willing to put in enough time and effort, which will help them master these technical skills sufficiently. For Nkeeto, he cites that with the skills, it’s easier for anyone to leverage technology in different ways. Here, he explains that organisations are more willing to go an extra mile to spend on employees with in-demand technical skills. The good thing he says is that the more one understands technology, the more value they will be able to extract from it.
