In its recent whitepaper report – Are we trained for work? – research by enterprise LMS provider, Digits, revealed that many organisations may not be providing enough – or the right types of – regular training to their staff.
According to the findings, based on a poll of 1,001 British workers, onboarding or induction training for new starters has reportedly only been offered to around a quarter of employees (25% of senior and middle managers and 23% of non-managerial staff).
While training in soft skills, such as teamwork, adaptability, flexibility, time management and problem-solving, has only been offered to under a third (29%).
Looking at the survey results by organisational role, there appears to be a clear connection between seniority levels and the availability of training. People occupying senior management positions are the most likely to receive training relating to their professional development, such as technical skills (offered to 49%), digital skills (38%), communication (36%), upskilling (30%) and reskilling (18%).
Middle managers are the most likely to have been offered training related to their position within an organisation, such as management (offered to 48% of this group), diversity and inclusion (34%), mentoring (32%) and compliance (30%).
Non-managerial staff are the most likely to be required to complete mandatory training instigated by their employers. They are also the most likely to have been offered health and safety training (61% compared to 44% of senior managers and 50% of middle managers), although providing health and safety information and training is a legal requirement for all UK employers. Conversely, non-managerial staff are among the least likely employees to be offered digital skills (27%) or reskilling (14%) – both could help them acquire new skills and progress in their careers.
Access to training varies by industry
It’s not just employers who influence the type of training that employees are likely to receive – the industry they work in has a big impact too. For example, people working in healthcare and social assistance are more likely to be offered soft skills training than those working in IT and software (offered to 33% and 25% of employees in those industries respectively). While people working in hospitality and food services are more likely to be offered digital skills than retail workers (32% compared to 22%).
Upskilling and reskilling employees is one of the best ways that employers can fill any skills gaps to help future-proof their organisation. It appears that many industries, however, aren’t prioritising either yet.
People working in retail, government and public administration and shipping and distribution are, statistically, the most likely to have access to upskilling training (offered to 38%, 37% and 36% of employees in those industries respectively). While workers in hospitality and food services and construction are the most likely to have access to reskilling training (21% and 20% respectively).
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