Employers: You're Missing Out By Not Upskilling Employees
Many employers say they can’t find skilled workers. At the same time, they overlook the people already on their payroll. Because upskilling feels like a hassle, some employers will never invest in it, but upskilling is the key to keeping your team fulfilled and driven to succeed in the workplace. You may even have employees ask you about upskilling opportunities directly.
Many employers hear about upskilling, but few actually do it — and they’re paying the price.
Giving your employees the time and resources to upskill is an investment in their professional development, and sends an important message about how you value them.
If you’ve ever considered upskilling for employees, keep reading. We’ll be covering some of the major benefits of upskilling, what happens when you don’t upskill, and how to get started.
The Hidden Costs of Not Upskilling Employees
Organizations who don’t upskill eventually feel the impact of it, even if they don’t realize it.
Employees Leave When Upskilling Opportunities Are Missing
Upskilling is becoming an essential part of managing a diversely skilled team, and your employees know that. They don’t just seek it out, they expect it in modern workplaces.
The #1 reason employees leave their place of work is because of a lack of growth opportunities.
Just like you want to see your business continuously grow, skilled employees want to grow too. When they don’t see a future at your company, they start looking elsewhere. Often, they leave quietly and take their knowledge with them.
Replacing an experienced employee costs far more than training them. Recruitment, onboarding, and lost productivity add up quickly. Many exits could be avoided by showing employees that you’re invested in their future and willing to help them grow.
Employees Become Less Productive and Less Skilled
Skills don’t stay current on their own. Tools change. Processes improve. Regulations evolve. In the process, skills become outdated, and employees lose the capabilities that originally made them a valuable asset.
An employee with out-of-date skills often takes longer to complete tasks, frequently runs into errors, and relies on their managers or fellow team members more often. When you continue to overlook upskilling, it won’t be long until the whole team starts struggling.
Eventually, your team becomes noticeably less productive — not because they don’t care, but because they weren’t supported.
Employees Become Disengaged
Without upskilling, employees become disengaged too. Like we said before, your employees, just like you, want to see continuous growth. When they feel as if they’re stuck and stagnating, they lose motivation.
You can see disengagement taking hold when an employee stops offering ideas, avoids responsibility, and does only what’s required. It doesn’t just affect one employee, it affects everyone.
Training signals trust and investment. Without it, employees often assume they’re replaceable—and act accordingly.
Why Upskilling Employees Is Worth It
Upskilling employees is worth it because it delivers noticeable returns across the business.
It reduces turnover by giving people a reason to stay and increases retention by creating growth paths within your organization. Teams become more capable, confident, and efficient. Productivity improves because employees know how to do their jobs better.
Upskilling also makes your business more competitive. Instead of chasing talent, you build it. That reduces the need to recruit, lowering hiring and onboarding costs. In a tight labour market, that advantage matters.
Where to Start Upskilling in Kitchener-Waterloo
Upskilling Employees Externally with Pathways
Working with an external training provider offers structure, expertise, and flexibility. Pathways is a local education services provider that does upskilling for all kinds of industries. With training facilities in Kitchener and Guelph, we provide localized upskilling support available in-person and remotely as needed.
Why Pathways?
We place a unique focus on practical, job-relevant skills, not theory, so you can start feeling the results from day 1. With no specific specialization, our diversely skilled educators offer a flexible, personalized learning experience based on your team’s goals.
We help you identify what skills are valuable, what key capabilities are missing, and build transferable skills that strengthen adaptability company-wide.
Talk to a Pathways Educator today to learn more about how we unlock your team's full potential…
Book a free, no-obligation consultation
Because Pathways works one-on-one with learners, employees receive personalized guidance. This leads to stronger outcomes and faster skill development, without placing the burden of training on internal teams.
Upskilling Employees on Your Own: Mentorship Opportunities
Internal mentorship is another option for upskilling, which involves yourself, management, and/or senior staff coaching employees, sharing knowledge, and personally guiding development.
This approach works well for role-specific skills and company processes. It also strengthens internal relationships and leadership skills. However, mentorship relies heavily on existing knowledge and available time. It can be difficult to scale or update skills beyond what your team already knows.
Upskilling Internally vs. Upskilling Externally with Pathways
When to Upskill Internally
- You’re upskilling newcomers to the team
- Your team doesn’t understand internal processes
- A team member’s working style doesn’t align with the rest of the company
- You have enough company resources and time to upskill employees individually
- You have highly-skilled people internally who are willing to train
- You don’t currently have the budget for an external provider
Pros and Cons of Upskilling Employees Internally
Pros
- Pro: Low direct cost
- Pro: Training is tailored to your processes
- Pro: Builds leadership skills in senior employees
- Pro: Learning happens in real-time, on the job
- Pro: Encourages knowledge sharing across teams
Cons
- Con: Senior employees lose productive time while training others
- Con: Learning quality varies depending on who is mentoring
- Con: Skills may be passed down incorrectly or inconsistently
- Con: Doesn’t bring new, fresh knowledge to the organization
- Con: Not effective for highly technical or emerging skills
When to Upskill Externally
- You’re upskilling experienced, veteran employees
- You’re upskilling employees who already have company-specific training
- You want to bring brand new skills that aren’t already present in your team
- You don’t have the time or resources to upskill employees yourself
- Your current staff’s knowledge is too limited for mentoring
- You want internal teams to focus on day-to-day business operations instead of mentoring
- It feels too stressful to facilitate upskilling internally
Pros and Cons of Upskilling Employees Externally
Pros
- Pro: Access to current, industry-relevant skills not already in your organization
- Pro: Training is delivered by experienced educators
- Pro: Consistent learning outcomes across employees
- Pro: Reduces pressure on internal teams
- Pro: Faster skill development for new or changing roles
- Pro: Clear structure, timelines, and accountability
Cons
- Con: Has direct costs that require budget allocation
- Con: Scheduling may need coordination around work hours
- Con: Lack of company-specific knowledge
Why a Blended Approach Often Works Best
Many employers in Kitchener-Waterloo see the strongest results by combining both approaches.
External providers like Pathways deliver foundational, technical, and transferable skills. Internal mentors then help employees apply those skills directly to your systems and workflows. This approach speeds learning, improves retention, and reduces risk.
Rather than choosing one method, blending both creates a training strategy that grows with your business.
Common Misconceptions About Upskilling Employees
“Employees Will Leave After We Upskill Them”
Statistics show that employees don’t leave when they get upskilled, it actually makes them more loyal and invested.
Yes, some will leave, that’s just inevitable, but many more stay. Employees are far more likely to leave when they feel ignored or stagnant. Upskilling builds loyalty and trust. It shows commitment, which encourages employees to invest back into your business.
“We Don’t Have the Budget for Upskilling”
It actually puts a bigger strain on your budget when you consistently refuse to upskill. Turnover, errors, and constant hiring are expensive. Training is often more affordable than replacing staff, especially when programs are targeted and flexible.
“Upskilling Takes Too Much Time”
Training isn’t time lost—it’s risk management. Short-term learning prevents long-term problems. A few hours of training can save weeks of rework, missed deadlines, or compliance issues late.
