In India, 85 per cent of professionals consider upskilling is critical to protecting their professions in the future, compared to 76 per cent of professionals worldwide, according to a report.
According to Great Learning, which is a part of BYJU’S group, 84 per cent of Southeast Asian professionals and 76 per cent professionals from Latin America give importance to upskilling when it comes to future-proofing their careers. In contrast, only 64 per cent and 66 per cent of professionals are from more developed regions like the US and the Middle East, respectively.
Despite the US being a mature market, only 47 per cent of professionals aim to upskill this year, compared to 83 per cent of professionals in India. The proportion of professionals who intend to upskill in 2023 varies by area, with figures for the Middle East, South East Asia, and Latin America being 79 per cent, 77 per cent, and 80 per cent, respectively.
Job security
Moreover, the Indian workforce shows a greater degree of optimism about retaining their jobs, with 71 per cent of professionals in the country confident about keeping their jobs in 2023, while the global average is 59 per cent. According to the report, professionals in the considered international markets were less confident about their job security through 2023 given the uncertain macroeconomic conditions.
“With the current economic climate and the fact that traditional roles are slowly being supplanted by new, sophisticated jobs, there is a sense of apprehension among professionals wanting to compete at the highest level. With 74 per cent professionals planning to upskill globally, the demand is already strong, and we believe that it will only grow from here on,” said Arjun Nair, Co-Founder Great Learning.
The report also stated that being busy with family and affordability are the top challenges cited by professionals who want to upskill in the United States. Professionals in the Middle East find it challenging to upskill because of family commitments. Most professionals in Latin America and India find it difficult to upskill because they are busy with office work.