The new Censuswide survey of over 4,000 of the UK's workforce showed a clear national appetite for skills development and indicated that employees are hungry to learn more and progress further in their careers this year compared to 2021 – with 69% wanting increased job satisfaction in 2022 and 67% feeling that gaining new skills will be key to achieving their work goals. 

Over a quarter (28%) of workers said that progression and opportunities to learn were paramount goals in their working life.

This research coincides with the launch of the government campaign which urges employers to 'join the skills revolution', aiming to help businesses across a wide range of industries gear up for economic recovery by skilling up their workforce. The campaign highlights the range of training and employment schemes available for businesses wanting to boost their workforce capabilities, including apprenticeships, traineeships and T levels. 

SKILLING UP

Sector-specific findings from the survey have indicated that a massive 80% and 77% of respondents working in manufacturing and utilities industries, and engineering respectively, are also interested in learning new skills relating to their work in 2022. The top areas workers say they are most keen to explore include IT and digital (20%), finance (16%) and business (16%), with 1 in 9 (11%) expressing an interest in learning more about green industries this year. Businesses are being encouraged to grasp this development opportunity to boost their business growth. 

The 'Join the Skills Revolution' campaign will showcase hundreds of government-funded skills opportunities and help businesses upskill their employees, find new talent, and train the future workforce. 

Commenting on the survey and the campaign launch, Nadhim Zahawi MP, Secretary of State for Education, said: "It is no secret that a skilled and motivated workforce is the key to driving better performance and boosting productivity. There has never been a better time to make skills a top priority. To support businesses to unlock untapped talent, there is a huge range of training available to help upskill their staff for free, from online courses to boost numeracy to apprenticeships, traineeships, T Levels or our Skills Bootcamps."  

A DEMAND FOR LEARNING

The research found a considerable demand for on-the-job training, with 39% of workers saying they would find this particularly useful. A further 31% of workers wanted courses specific to their sector, as well as encouragement and practical support from their employer – with 1-in-3 saying they felt held back by a lack of time (36%), a lack of confidence (31%) or knowing where to start (30%). 

The opportunities on offer, as part of the Join the Skills Revolution campaign, have been designed by and in partnership with employers, listening to businesses to help meet their recruitment needs and address skills gaps, through flexible, free or subsidised courses. Skills Bootcamps, for example, provide fast-track sector-specific training in areas such as construction, HGV driving, green skills, digital, manufacturing and engineering, as well as creating a pool of skilled staff ready to recruit with the right training. 

Businesses are urged to join the skills revolution and drive better performance, by visiting: www.gov.uk/skills-support.