The IT Pro Podcast: How upskilling is driving staff retention
Investing in workforce training improves talent and is seen by employees as a vote of confidence

Large companies are relying on online learning more and more, to improve the career goals of their employees, and upskilling can be an important way of retaining staff while adding to existing expertise.
But the public sector has lagged behind the private sector on this front, and is currently experiencing record churn and vacancies. 410,000 staff quit social care in 2021, and care roles around the country are now short of approximately 165,000 staff.
This week, we spoke to Hadi Moussa, General Manager and Managing Director for EMEA at one of the largest online learning platforms, Coursera, to unpack how virtual upskilling courses can help improve staff retention in social care, as well as the prospects of roles within the sector.
Highlights
“The objective is to drive quality improvement among the UK health care professionals, and also to help address some of the knowledge gaps among the NHS staff to help meet and of the future public health challenges.”
“Creating more of a culture of learning, and effectively having people find the time for learning, is a major challenge that we also hear from many of the companies that we work with. I think it's really about embedding it into the way that staff operate, because you need to show really the value of gaining those additional skills in terms of your ability to do your job better, your ability to drive better outcomes, your ability to, for example again, get promoted over time.”
“One of the key components that is really required for the UK to become a technology superpower is around skills. And that is why we believe that there is this need to continue investing in skills, even in this type of environment, to be able to drive the outcomes that both the private sector and the public sector are looking for in this case.”
Read the full transcript here.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Footnotes
- How to digitally upskill your staff on a budget
- Upskilling a remote workforce
- How to upskill your existing workforce to beat the talent drought
- Beating the IT brain drain: How to break the cycle of vanishing skills
- Why reskilling isn't just about learning new technology
- Google to offer US businesses $100,000 worth of digital skills courses
- Tech skills in the UK lag behind most of Europe
- Global Skills Report 2022 - Coursera
Subscribe
ITPro is a global business technology website providing the latest news, analysis, and business insight for IT decision-makers. Whether it's cyber security, cloud computing, IT infrastructure, or business strategy, we aim to equip leaders with the data they need to make informed IT investments.
For regular updates delivered to your inbox and social feeds, be sure to sign up to our daily newsletter and follow on us LinkedIn and Twitter.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?
In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
By Kate O'Flaherty Published
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Four-day weeks and Nadella's AGI skepticism
ITPro Podcast As the Microsoft chief casts doubt on ultra-advanced AI systems, a famous security blogger has fallen victim to a classic attack
By Rory Bathgate Published
-
Employees want purpose, and they’re willing to quit to find it – upskilling, career growth, and work-life balance have shifted priorities for workers
News Employees want purpose and meaning at work — and if they don't get it, two thirds would quit to find it.
By Nicole Kobie Published
-
DEI rollbacks could exacerbate tech talent shortages – nearly half of recruitment leaders worry diversity cuts will impact their company’s appeal and employee retention
News Finding talent with AI skills has already become a major challenge for enterprises, but with some enterprises shelving DEI hiring practices, research suggests the situation could get worse.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Creating space for women in tech
ITPro Podcast Tech's huge gender divide can only be tackled with more welcoming, proactive sectoral efforts
By Rory Bathgate Published
-
Tech firms eye temps to plug talent gaps
News The tech industry could be set for a spike in temporary hiring, according to a new study from recruitment firm Robert Walters.
By George Fitzmaurice Published
-
What is the EU's AI plan?
ITPro Podcast As the EU moves to enable AI innovation, it could end up striking the perfect balance between regulation and public support – especially as US AI laws become more complex
By Rory Bathgate Published
-
The trends we’re watching in 2025
AI for security and sovereign cloud could be top driving forces in the coming year
By Jane McCallion Published
-
The 2024 that didn't happen
These are the megatrends of the year that failed to materialise
By Jane McCallion Published