British workers are in urgent need for more skills training as the skills gap widens research shows.
- 78 per cent of adults want to learn new skills whenever they can
- 11million (28 per cent) of Brits don’t feel properly trained to do their current job
- 59 per cent would be willing to learn in their own time if it would help them in their career
- By 2024 there will be a shortfall of 4m skilled workers as a result of reduced learning
Go1, one of the world’s largest corporate education content hubs, recently released its latest research that highlights a growing skills gap in the UK workforce. Read the full article here.
With a greater economic uncertainty in the UK, companies across the board are looking at ways to tighten their belts, to the detriment of their employees and their future prospects. Survey findings show that over three quarters of adults are keen to continue upskilling, enabling them to progress in their careers and increase their overall employability whilst delivering better output for their employers. But, despite this figure, over a third (34 per cent) are being asked to do this in their own time, upsetting their work/life balance and putting greater pressure on their mental health.
Recruitment seen as a fix for skills shortage
A parliamentary committee report revealed that businesses are prioritising recruitment to fill the skills gap, which is estimated to reach 4m in the next two years, instead of offering appropriate training and further learning for the 41m working age Brits. In fact, workers are so worried about the lack of opportunities to upskill that 78 per cent are willing to learn whenever and wherever it takes, despite the balancing of other commitments such as family and friends.
With adult learning at a 23-year low according to the government, the role of businesses to provide learning and development opportunities has never been greater. In the most extreme circumstances, 11m Brits (28 per cent of the workforce) don’t feel they have been trained well enough to do the job they currently have, suggesting a stark skills gap lurking in plain sight for companies.
Retention not prioritised enough
“On-the-job training is one of the most important aspects of any employment, not least for the output but also for the wellbeing that it provides employees,” said Chris Eigeland, CRO and Co-founder of Go1. “This study shows that Brits are crying out to be upskilled but too many businesses are overlooking this need in favour of recruitment rather than prioritising retention. With such a wealth of educational content available online and in person, there really is no better time to focus energy as an employer on empowering, upskilling and rewarding loyal employees by giving them the crucial training they so clearly want.”
Go1 is continuing to link more than 3.5 million users to courses from 1,600 education providers like Harvard Business Review, Pearson, and Coursera, by removing the inconvenience of having to sign up and juggle various subscription deals.
To learn more about which courses the UK is most interested in undertaking and to see the rest of the report visit https://www.go1.com/blog/post-how-employees-like-to-learn, and for more information on Go1 visit www.Go1.com.
Methodology
Survey data was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Go1. 2,057 workers (18+) were surveyed between 10.05.22 – 13.05.22. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which are based on the ESOMAR principles.
