Survey: Only 36% Local Workers Given Training Opportunities

97% of workers expressed interest in learning and development opportunities, according to a Randstad Workmonitor survey. However, only 36% received training offers from their employers in the previous year.

More than four out of five respondents felt that training and development were essential to their career advancement and necessary for greater job satisfaction.

 

Malaysian workers know the value of upskilling

According to Fahad Naeem, country director of Randstad Malaysia, employees in Malaysia know how important it is to regularly enrol in upskilling development programmes as part of their professional development journey.

These programmes are essential for enabling people to perform more productively and critically so that they may have more opportunities for career progression within the organisation.

Due to the overwhelming workload and insufficient mental capacity to join training courses, there is still a reluctance to upskill despite the enthusiasm.

He said it is important to remember that workforce upskilling requires collaboration between employers and employees. Companies need to provide upskilling opportunities to enable their staff to develop into value-added roles if they want to have a high-productivity team and improve their ability to recruit and retain talent, he said in a statement.

Among those who wanted upskilling: 

• 61% seek technical skills, 

• 60% want to acquire soft skills, and 

• 54% want to advance in their current role.

Naeem added that businesses must invest in training an agile and future-ready workforce to maintain a competitive edge in the age of digital transformation.

He stated that employees will become more productive in their professions and interact with one another more effectively when they get the chance to learn and put new frameworks and approaches into practice at work.

 

In need of coaching

However, the poll also revealed that 96% of respondents were keen to contact career coaches for valuable counsel and guidance.

According to the survey, employees seek coaching for various reasons: 

• 65% want to establish a better work-life balance, 

• 64% want to make more money, and 

• 43% want to develop their careers with their current employers.

According to Naeem, career counselling can be quite helpful for workers looking for solutions to their problems.

It gives them a chance to get advice on handling a demanding job or a challenging working relationship with a coworker.

Additionally, coaches can help employees get to the next level in their professions or enhance their work-life balance.

He said that by providing career coaching to staff, employers foster a more holistic work environment for them to grow and develop. This will help employers draw in additional talent who are looking for the same kind of growth-oriented support.

The study reveals the most recent opinions and assessments of the local labour market held by the workforce. 750 locally based workers, ranging in age from 18 to 67, participated in the survey from February 21 to March 13, 2022.