Career Change
A study conducted by Aviva showed that three fifths of UK workers (60%) intend to make changes to their careers as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, an increase of seven percentage since July 2020 (53%).
Totaljobs conducted a survey on Brits affected by Coronavirus. They found that one in five used their free time in lockdown to search and plan for a career in a new industry. The impact of COVID made a fifth of UK workers realise their current role isn't for them.
A Careers in Depth study showed that younger people aged 18-24 and 24-34 are most likely to want a career change. Approximately 66% of the UK workforce wrongly believe they are too old to change careers.
Why do employees plan to change careers?
- Employees want career advancement
- Employer related benefits are crucial
- Company culture is more highly valued
- Remote work is no longer negotiable
- Work-life balance is a priority
With the population gaining a longer life expectancy, it creates opportunity for longer economic contribution and sustained economic growth - and older workers are crucial for the success of multigenerational workforce. By 2025, there will be one million more people aged 50 and over and 300,000 fewer people aged 30 and under in the workplace. One in three of the working age population will be 50 and over. Therefore, the ageing population have much more time to think about career change later in life and will be looking for services that can support them.
Career Development
Investing in retraining, reskilling and upskilling improves employability of all workers throughout their lives.
For individuals
A July 2021 poll found that:
- 86% of workers felt that their career had stalled during the pandemic
- 79% feel pressure to push their careers further as the pandemic ends
- 80% of workers do not think their current employer offers growth opportunities
- 49% of workers expect their employer to play a part in career development
- 60% of millennials want leadership training
- 58% of individuals say professional development contributes to their job satisfaction
For Businesses
A recent survey found that nearly one in three workplaces in the UK don't provide any opportunities for their employees to learn new skills at all. Even though employers may not be able to make long-term commitments to career development or predict with any certainty the skills they will need for the future, they still have much to gain form supporting employees with their career development.
Five reasons why companies should take an active role in employee career development:
- It builds commitment and engagement
- It can uncover hidden potential
- It helps the business develop skills for the future
- It supports succession planning
- it helps to attract new talent