New research from totaljobs, has revealed that 2 in 3 UK workers have changed jobs due to a lack of learning and development opportunities.
With unemployment rates at the lowest since 1975, employers are increasingly faced with a task of ensuring that they retain their existing talent and totaljobs research suggests that one such way is through training. Alongside building employee morale, the research shows that the UK workforce is keen and looking to upskill, offering a potential alternative for bridging the UK skills gap. As many as nine in ten (90%) of workers want their employer to make more training courses available.
These emerging learning and development (L&D) expectations are supported by employers, with 80% of those totaljobs spoke to agreeing that companies should offer their staff the opportunity to develop professionally. Similarly, 87% of employers said they encourage their staff to attain professional qualifications, underlining L&D as a growing priority for employers and employees alike. With the majority of UK workers feeling that their employers are not providing enough L&D opportunities, perhaps there is work to do around the promotion of these initiatives to drive participation.
Importantly, four in five (81%) employers agree that their staff perform better after training, highlighting the positive impact training has on both businesses and employees, who benefit from refreshing existing skills and learning new ones. Besides the positive impact on an individual's career, businesses as a whole are reaping the rewards, with nearly 90% of employers stating that upskilling an individual team member also improves their wider team's output.
In fact, training is so important to the workforce, that 41% of people say they have secured a new job as a direct result of training, which explains why almost half of workers are paying for their own professional training. Understanding the importance of attending courses and training opportunities (both internal and external) will support individual growth and build professional development in the workplace.
Highlighting this trend, over two-thirds (67%) of employees believe training is more important today than it was two years ago and it is expected that L&D will continue to play an increasingly influential role in the workplace over the next few years as demand increases.
These findings are backed by research totaljobs conducted with Robert Walters which found that the skills gap in the UK is due to worsen due to Brexit, highlighting the need for further learning and development. The research found that the skills gap is most acute at a junior and mid-management level. 48% of candidates believe that employers should partner more effectively with local universities and educate students on potential career paths and that companies should offer work placements.