One third of all UK employees feel unqualified for their current position, whilst over half (53%) feel that fellow employees aren’t technically equipped to carry out their duties.
The worrying statistic surfaced from research conducted by global artificial intelligence firm Docebo. Surveyed workers feared that their bosses and fellow employees harboured feelings of frustration about their roles, whilst one in four lived in constant fear of being let go due to a lack of skills.
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When quizzed on workplace ability, around 40% of those surveyed said that they regularly turned to Google for assistance with difficult projects instead of asking a colleague.
“To ensure employees thrive, companies need to implement training tools that match the ease, personalisation and interactivity of platforms like Google and YouTube,” commented Docebo CEO Claudio Erba.
“This not only helps the workforce to feel more empowered but will also create new opportunities for a business to evolve the types of roles and tasks its employees take on.”
Nearly 60% of those polled by Docebo claimed that regular access to courses and education had a direct effect on their happiness and wellbeing, whilst more than a third said that a lack of training opportunities would likely be key motivation for leaving a role.
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This opinion is held by an even great amount of employees under the age of 30, 55% of whom said that they would likely leave a job if no education is offered.
“I really don’t understand what happened,” commented one user on a forum dedicated to work training. “Employers used to care about their employees. Not sure what caused the shift, but because of this shift, we have bright college educated people in their 20s and 30s being drastically underpaid, and 55+ people coasting to retirement while being drastically overpaid. Weird.”
However another user defended businesses that are weary of providing on-the-job training, saying: “We all want to blame employers, but the truth is employees simply screw companies that try to do the right thing. We should be loyal to companies that develop us instead of back stabbing them.
“Companies have learned their lesson. And now workers are screwed. I guess this is filed in the ‘Reasons we can’t have good things’ category.”
Gender and education
Statistically women in the workplace have less access to education than their male counterparts, according to a 2018 report by McKinsey & Company. 64% of men polled by the firm claimed to have access to in-work learning, whilst just 48% of women claim to have the same opportunities.
The report also claimed that companies in the top quartile of gender diversity out perform those with a greater gender disparity by up to 20% — proving that inclusive learning can offer a key competitive advantage for businesses.
