Challenges to Upskilling: Time, Different Priorities

​Continually developing job skills is essential for organizations and individuals to stay relevant and competitive, but while 80 percent of employers offer upskilling benefits, only 51 percent of employees use them.

There are several reasons for this, according to a DeVry University report, Closing the Activation Gap: Converting Potential to Performance by Upskilling the Workforce. The top two: a lack of time to pursue training, and a difference of opinion between workers and employers as to what skills they should be learning, according to the report.

While 84 percent of 1,515 U.S. workers said they’re responsible for keeping their skills up-to-date, 40 percent said they don’t have time during the workday to take advantage of their employer’s upskilling opportunities. Also, 35 percent said family and other priorities take precedence over learning and development on their own time.

A separate survey by Adobe found that career development is top of mind for members of Generation Z but they also cite lack of time as a barrier to developing their skills. Its Future Workforce Study found in a September survey that slightly more than half (55 percent) of the 1,011 workers born between 1997 and 2012 participate in career development training programs less than once a month because of a time crunch.

A Difference of Opinion

Workers prioritize learning business and financial skills, AI and software engineering/coding, data analytics, and digital marketing. They value…