Skillsoft study reveals major gaps in workplace skills & training

Recent research carried out by ed-tech platform Skillsoft has revealed significant concerns among employees regarding their workplace skills and the effectiveness of talent development programmes.

The study surveyed 2,500 full-time employees across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and India to assess the current state of skills and talent development in the workplace.

Globally, 35% of the respondents expressed a lack of confidence in their current skillset regarding their job roles. Specifically, in the UK, more than one-third (37%) of employees were concerned about being replaced or moved to a less desirable role due to a deficiency in certain skills. Gen Z respondents exhibited the highest levels of concern, with 44% fearing a lack of necessary skills.

The urgency for enhanced learning programmes is underscored by nearly 75% of the respondents indicating gaps in the effectiveness of their organisations' talent development plans. Moreover, despite the increasing prevalence of generative AI tools, 62% of employees felt that their organisation's AI training programmes were only average or poor. In the UK, a mere 7.47% of respondents rated their AI training as excellent.

Leadership skills training was another area of concern, with only 28% of respondents rating the training provided by their organisations as excellent. Similarly, just 31% felt the same about the soft skills training available to them.

"This data highlights a significant issue: one-third of the workforce is questioning if they have the right skills to excel in their roles," said Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft. "These skill gaps hold workers back from reaching their full potential and can hinder organisations in achieving their key business objectives. As workers face an increasingly complex set of responsibilities, ongoing change in the workplace, and disruption spurred by generative AI, it's critical for organisations to proactively build their talent's skills. A skilled, agile workforce is inherently more confident, capable, and productive."

The study further revealed that while 95% of the surveyed employees said their organisation had a talent development programme, only 25% found it to be highly effective. The main obstacles identified were a lack of time (42%), suitable learning formats (30%), and insufficient leadership support (26%). Respondents indicated a preference for a blended learning approach, encompassing online, on-demand courses (39%), interactive and experiential opportunities (37%), and live, instructor-led training (37%).

"Effective learning programmes take a blended, multimodal approach that goes beyond building skills and drives measurable improvements in job performance and behavioural change on a continuous basis," continued Harrington. "By offering timely, high-quality learning content and interactive experiences that allow for hands-on practice of newly acquired skills, organisations can prepare their talent to leverage emerging technologies like GenAI, adapt swiftly to emerging regulations, and develop essential leadership skills."

The survey highlighted that in-demand skills require a transformative approach to talent development. Despite the availability of tools, 62% of respondents rated their organisation's AI training poorly. Only 28% gave excellent ratings to their leadership skills training, and 31% said the same for soft skills training. Effective programmes should include group training (33%), mentoring (32%), and coaching (30%) as core components.

The transition to a skills-based model is in its early stages, with 82% of respondents reporting their organisations are taking steps towards this model. Common measures include providing skill- and role-based learning paths (28%), performing skill gap analyses (16%), and implementing skills taxonomies (16%). However, only 19% of respondents mentioned receiving regular skill assessments, which are crucial for the success of such strategies.

The study, conducted online in July 2024 via the Pollfish platform, gathered insights from employees across various industries and roles, providing a broad perspective on the current state of skills and talent development in the workplace.