While millennials and Gen X workers are optimistic about career growth, 88% of Gen Z had to rethink their career path, due to the uncertainty of the last three years, according to the latest Pearson Skills Outlook Report. “Gen Z workers were also less likely to feel optimistic about the state of the job market compared to millennials and more likely to be actively seeking a new job compared to Gen X,” the report added.
It also found that nearly nine out of 10 Indian workers (88%) expect to continue learning throughout their careers to stay up to date, and workers across demographics have shown a preference for short courses (80%), language learning programmes (83%), and credentials/badges (75%).
“There is a shift in the attitude of the workforce towards upskilling, as they expect and explore learning and development for their entire lifetime,” the report noted.
As far as languages are concerned, 82% Indians think that learning English is a key skill to advance in their careers, and artificial intelligence/machine learning, data processing and coding/programming are the top skills that will be attractive for Indian employers in 5-10 years.
The report, which polled 4,000 people in the US, the UK, India and Brazil, illustrated that across markets, short courses, employer-sponsored training and university degrees are seen as the most needed to move up from current positions. This was seen to be true especially in India, with certifications from professional organisations (34%) and from platforms (34%) being the top two types of education felt needed to advance their careers.
Across all generations in the US, the UK and India, human skills such as decision-making and problem-solving dominate the top skills felt needed for career advancement and skills currently being developed. In India, technical skills like AI/ML, data processing and coding are also priorities across age groups, specifically when considering skills of the future.
“The success of any modern organisation depends on the success of its workforce. But there is a skills gap across industries and markets which has a direct impact on productivity, business growth and innovation. With the proliferation of the internet and emergence of AI/ML and data science, the workforce has to not only learn new technical skills but also human skills, which will make their work more effective,” said Michael Howells, president, Workforce Skills, Pearson. “The Skills Outlook Report brings out the fact that Indian workers are well aware about their upskilling imperatives and are looking for trustworthy avenues of learning and development.”