Reading is the number one skill … for up-skilling

Alsowise |

1 Sep, 2023

The financial crisis of 2007-09 created the strongest headwinds to business and employment in decades and caused millions of people across the globe to lose their jobs. The recovery from this debacle has been – in many parts of the populous world – a largely jobless one. The next big blow came with the pandemic (2020-22) and, once again, millions of people who were not equipped to “work from home” felt abandoned and insecure.

And now, just as things seem ready to settle down, the latest threat to long-term employment comes in the form of Artificial Intelligence, which threatens to eliminate entire swathes of routine, clerical and mechanical human functions. So, when a person is made redundant, or the company that one works for needs new skills, what is one to do?

The answer – according to management consultants and WhatsApp University – lies in “Up-skilling”. This involves utilising the time off from your former job to equip yourself with new skills and competencies, in order to make yourself more employable in emerging industries. And while some of these new skills may be accessed in a classroom or webinar, and experienced in a conference or networking event, the most critical prerequisite for independent and self-motivated up-skilling is READING.

As jobs move up the value chain to become more knowledge-centric, reading skills are likely to become a key differentiator. But reading is an acquired skill and not something that one is born to. With the proliferation of social media, digital distractions abound, and the average attention span has seen a calamitous global decline across all age groups. To develop this skill, one must train oneself to be able to scan a document, analyse and distil its salient features, and retain them in anticipation of adapting and applying this new-found learning in the real world at some point in the future.

Even if you feel that you lack this skill, it’s never too late to become a skilled reader. It takes a little dedication and time. But it’s an investment that is guaranteed to  pay rich dividends.

And with ALSOWISE® you hone your reading skills while:

  • Setting your own pace
  • Choosing topics that interest you
  • Using your own device

How does the ALSOWISE® Programme enable you to acquire this skill?

The ALSOWISE® Programme is designed to enhance proficiency in the English language, with a critical emphasis on honing reading and analytical skills.

The programme leverages technology to encourage reading, in which users are made to listen, read, and test their unaided recall – through our carefully developed ReadAlongs – on a mobile device of their choice. This goes a long way in developing reading as a skill and as a strength.

It is never too late to learn and hone this valuable skill. So, if you’re looking to improve your English reading and communication skills with a view to standing out in a crowded field, and getting ahead in your career:

  1. Download the ALSOWISE® app today.
  2. Register immediately – the process is quick and simple.
  3. Sample the FREE Demo and discover for yourself that ALSOWISE® is the English language enhancement app that you were looking for.

 

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