'Upskilling is no longer a choice but a necessity for career progression'
A majority of workers and employers alike are aware of the importance of upskilling, according to a recent report.
Overall, 60 per cent of Canadians believe upskilling is very important for advancing their careers.
“Upskilling is no longer a choice, but a necessity for career progression with the rise of new technologies like AI and our current competitive job market,” says Sarah Stockdale, founder and CEO of Growclass, which did the survey.
This is becoming more important as a previous report from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) found that university graduates seem to be getting a lower return on investment post-graduation. That’s because the rising cost of tuition in Canada has outpaced median income growth for post-secondary graduates five years after they completed an undergraduate university degree.
What is the best skill to develop?
Canadians feel communication and interpersonal skills are the most important areas to upskill in the next 12 months (60 per cent), according to the survey of over 1,550 respondents who are members of the Angus Reid Forum, conducted by Growclass Oct. 8 to 10, 2024.
Leadership and management (48 per cent) and artificial intelligence (37 per cent) are also high on the priorities list of Canadians.
And 40 per cent have engaged in some form of upskilling in the past year. Among them, 44 per cent say they were motivated by personal interest or growth, and 20 per cent desire for career advancement.
The concept of life-long learning – with a focus on “skills for success” – is vital in ensuring that Canada will have enough skilled workers to fill job openings in the future, according to one expert.
Barriers to upskilling
However, many are facing challenges in their upskilling journey. Specifically, the biggest barriers for Canadians when it comes to engaging in upskilling are:
- lack of time (58 per cent)
- cost of courses (49 per cent)
- lack of relevant opportunities (33 per cent)
Survey respondents say that they would be more likely to invest in upskilling if:
- their employer covered the cost (64 per cent)
- there are low-cost or free online upskilling platforms (60 per cent)
- there are available government grants or subsidies (43 per cent)
- there are courses with additional benefits like networking opportunities and mentorship programs (31 per cent)
Why is it important to support career progression?
Employers have a lot to gain from supporting their workers in advancing in their careers, according to ETAJ Engineering Solutions.
Supporting workers in their development has a lot of positive impact on employee recruitment, retention, productivity, culture and more, they say.
“Supporting employee career advancement is a win-win situation for both employees and employers. It leads to higher employee satisfaction, improved performance, and a stronger, more skilled workforce, while also benefiting the organization's bottom line and long-term success.”
Employers have a huge role to play in supporting employees through career development. And they can fulfill that by starting with career conversations with workers, says Meghan Lavallee, chair, board of directors, at CERIC, which advances education, research and advocacy in career counselling and development.
