Udemy, a platform for online learning and teaching, released the “2019/2020 Global Skills Gap Report”, a special data survey report that provides a comprehensive look at the divide between job-seekers’ skills and the qualifications demanded by employers.
The Udemy report analysed insights from employees in India, Brazil, France, Mexico, and Spain and tracked their sentiment towards the skills gap in their respective countries.
The report revealed that, in India, 92 per cent of full-time employees in India agree that there is a skills gap in the country. While 76 per cent of them feel personally affected by it.
Four skill types
The report added that two-thirds of the Indian participants believe that all four skill types are equally valued by their employers: technical and digital skills (68 per cent); leadership and management skills (66 per cent); productivity skills (66 per cent); soft skills (63 per cent).
Indian employees believe that they learn mostly through online courses (44 per cent) and corporate professional development (34 per cent), the report added.
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The majority of Indian employees (97 per cent) look forward to learning new skills and transitioning to a new job one day.
The report further noted that 82 per cent agree college education has not equipped them with the skills they need to succeed in today’s job market. While 84 per cent said that skills are changing so rapidly that their current knowledge is becoming obsolete.
Competition in job market
The majority (92 per cent) also say that there is so much competition in the job market that they need to be constantly upskilling.
More than half the surveyed people (61 per cent) said they would leave their current job if their current employer does not provide them with skill-based training.
Commenting on the survey report, Irwin Anand, MD, Udemy India, said in the official release: “There is an underlying current of anxiety, with as many as three-quarters of workers in India responding that they feel personally affected by the skills gap. As the Covid pandemic further exacerbates employee anxiety, business models, and jobs, we have seen many turns to skills training platforms like Udemy to help them become more competitive.”
He added: “The Udemy Skills Gap Report not only shows that Indian employees understand the importance of professional development, but they also feel responsible for it and expect their employers to support them on their upskilling journey. In a post-pandemic world, we expect to see this trend accelerate even further — success in today’s rapidly changing world requires new skills and a focus on continuous learning.”