New research has revealed that a huge 80% of workers in the manufacturing and utilities industries are interested in learning new work skills in 2022, higher than the nation's average of 70%.
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.