Training in Canada / 91 per cent of Canadian workers say employers should pay the bill survey finds

Canada’s skills gap was a major element of the last Federal budget, with the launch of programs such as the Canada Job Grant that share the cost of training and upgrading workforce skills with employers. But when it comes to an up-to-date skill set, who is responsible – the employer or the employee?

According to the most recent WorkMonitor study by Randstad, the country’s largest human resources and staffing company, 91 per cent of Canadian workers hold the employer responsible for ensuring the skills and competences of employees correspond with job requirements.

“This may in part be related to the fact that the study also revealed that more than eight in ten Canadian workers feel that the demands on employees are higher than five years ago,” said Tom Turpin, President, Randstad Canada.

This has significant implications for Canada’s skills shortage, as employed Canadians would be less likely to pursue advanced training on their own.

“Canadians already have the highest rate of tertiary college education in the world,” says Turpin, citing a recent OECD report evaluating global education. “After years in school, for many there is an expectation that they should be able to get a good job and a strong career. That’s simply an unrealistic impression in many professions.”

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via Survey Says: Canadians Expect Employers to Foot the Bill for Skills Training – Press Release – Digital Journal.