Note: These are authors own views. The article is present on the author’s other social media accounts as well.
It is said easy by some professionals especially those in HR- That we would re-train employees.
Even I may have said re-training is an option! But I have not said yet to whom retraining is suitable.
To some retraining is a jewel, a new career, a new avenue to learn, grow, and earn.
They may wonder why the other person does not like the word re-training. It may give other people goosebumps to even hear the word that they need to be re-trained.
We all are different. For some re-training is bliss and an opportunity while for others it a stress. Changing career paths is not easy, and so are changing specializations. For those who can do well it’s good, but some and many may not feel comfortable re-training in a specialized area.
Hence, one must see what area a person can be re-trained in.
Age plays a key role too! If someone is in their twenties, retraining is like learning something new, not all people are in learning mode all through their lives. Especially if age is a factor and money is the need.
So, what to do if re-training is tough on some employees?
What to do when the company is shutting down some jobs for automation? Would people be called in to be re-trained? Some would say yes, others would say maybe, some may say, “We will think it over and come back”, while many would say “no” upfront!
Saying no is also your right, but understand the economics, that you need to retrain if not in technical stuff, maybe in some other culinary or writing or clay modeling, writing, firefighting or archery skills things that have open avenues for earning. Where would these skills come from all of a sudden? Yes, here comes the role of education, hobbies, and passions.
Did you let go free your passions, it can provide you with a new job or new business! An area to be taking new re-trainings in! Who says one can re-train on technical skills only? We can retrain on culinary skills as well and be Master Chef if need be. If there is no need, then well you are a lucky free bird. But not all of us are without the responsibility of making a nest!
So, teach your children to follow passions, not just jobs, and if the area of the job is his/her passion well and good, if not, then do it both, passion and job! Passion gives one joy, and a job gives one reason, identity, and of course, means to live.
So, when faced with job loss and given the option to re-train, where do you want to spend the next 6 months of retraining? In a technical re-training or a hobby/passion re-training. Even coding can be a passion and hobby! So, nothing is ruled out of here. Just understanding between the employer and the employee who is offered re-training or an ending business and a new venture!
Re-training is a time to review what you would spend the next 6 months on. Would you be happy doing this?
Would you like to change the profession?
Would you like to make one of your passions/hobbies your next choice?
Or would you love to enhance your technical skills for a better tomorrow, for you and others on Earth?
Know this temporary phase of job losses, but there are so many more opportunities coming, there would be jobs, given the bigger vision of life, how it always was- new demands always come up, it always did as in the history of world! Things have been automated for a long, but our desires, aims and aspirations grow more with time! Know what makes you satisfied! A technical job or an instrument player or if you want — it can be both.
Just foster hobbies in your children! Passions they love, or they learn to love!
This would be an investment in children’s future when they are asked to re-train maybe sitting on the Moon, who knows?