Tech sector firms need upskilling and training—here’s one way they can do it

If there’s one thing companies in the tech industry can agree on, it’s the need for a high-functioning, well-trained workforce.

But how to get there? That’s a question from companies and experts alike. The answer may be a mix of training, hiring, and upskilling—and it’s that last point that has organizations turning to firms that can help.

One such company, Utah-based online learning platform Pluralsight, offers training resources and upskilling to the tech space and, CEO Erin Gajdalo told IT Brew.

“Our goal is to work with organizations who are understanding of the fact that technology is moving at an incredibly rapid pace, and want to be able to enable their employees to upskill,” Gajdalo said.

What we need. Pluralsight provides labs and hands-on learning to organizations, with upskilling as a main area of focus. Tech is moving rapidly, and enabling employees to upskill—especially in a world where AI is evolving—means taking action.

Crystal Morin, a cybersecurity strategist at Sysdig, told IT Brew in March she sees a real opportunity for organizations looking to fill in employment shortages, specifically in the cybersecurity field.

“I like to call it a skills gap because I don’t think there’s a shortage of people, necessarily—I think there’s plenty of people out there on the job market that we could bring into cybersecurity,” Morin said. “They just might not necessarily have the skills that line up with these half a million jobs.”

The way it works. According to Gajdalo, Pluralsight begins with basic assessments and testing to see how employees stack up; from there, it’s a matter of finding the specific solutions that make sense for the firm. People shouldn’t feel threatened, she said, rather they should understand that the efforts are being undertaken for both the good of the company and the individual.

“The best organizations position this in a way where there is that psychological safety, where you know that for us as an organization, it is so important for us to continue to develop your skills as an employee,” Gajdalo said. “We believe in you, we’re investing in you, and that is why we have these tools.”

The move to cloud and integration of AI into tech business practices has made for some complications in the sector. In a job market where there are far more positions than people qualified to fill them, the need for nontraditional prospective employees and for upskilling existing staff is undeniable.

“We see that as a gap that exists in the market today,” Gajdalo said.

Ultimately, Pluralsight’s offerings are a way to ensure that upskilling and training are available for a workforce that needs the help. Gajdalo framed the service as a reaction to an evolving job market and industry.

“Tech is moving so incredibly fast that if you are not continuously learning, you’re going to find your job eliminated or the inability to compete,” Gajdalo said.