Upskilling – 366,000 people in 197 countries surveyed

In one of the largest global surveys of labor trends and work preferences, BCG and online recruiting company the Network surveyed 366,000 people in 197 countries. The results revealed that most people are prepared to retrain for a new position.

If people feel that their livelihoods are affected by global megatrends, it follows that they are willing to devote time to learning new skills in order to stay relevant in their jobs. We found that close to two-thirds of respondents (65%) spend significant time on learning each year, from a few weeks to a few months.

We also found substantial regional differences in people’s willingness to learn. Accordingly, we group countries into four categories: proactive adapters, bystanders, hesitators, and intrinsic learners. (See Exhibit 3.)

Willingness to reskill varies by region. We found that respondents in Latin American countries are the most ready to switch jobs, with 84% willing to learn new skills if doing so made them more employable for new roles. Respondents from Europe were the least open to change, with an average of 63% reporting a willingness to reskill. Willingness to reskill is especially low among respondents from Germany (53%), Iran (46%), and some Central and Eastern European countries. (See Exhibit 8.)

Establish individual learning accounts.

Governments can cultivate a lifelong-learning mindset by helping employees save for training purposes. A system of individual learning accounts jointly financed by employers, government, and employees does just that. Employees can pay for training and development from the account, which goes with them if they move to a new job, giving them more control over their career development. In France, private-sector employees get a personal training account with their first job and can use it to pay for a wide variety of approved courses until they retire.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at How to Future-Proof Your Workforce | Workforce of the Future | BCG and via Decoding Global Trends in Upskilling and Reskilling