69 per cent of employees plan to devote more time to upskilling: Simplilearn 2022 State of Upskilling Survey 

•    64% of respondents are optimistic about the economy's growth while believing that the pandemic will fade away 
•    37% of respondents cited lacking skill certifications or new skills their jobs required as an obstacle to career growth 
•    The top and bottom levels of organizations are most interested in learning and upskilling; both large and small enterprises emphasize continued learning

Bengaluru, September 2, 2022: Simplilearn, a leading online bootcamp offering digital skills training, has published the findings of the 2022 State of Upskilling Midyear Learner Survey. The report highlights employee trends regarding career development through the past 12 months and expectations for the coming year. The survey was conducted to understand career trajectories of professionals in the past year - obstacles faced, what they did differently to improve their careers, the impact of these actions, and insight on new skills they have learned or plan to learn. The survey obtained responses from 750 learners and identified that 64% expect economic growth to continue and the pandemic to fade away. 69% plan to spend more time upskilling, while 72% are looking to change employers or pivot to a new career altogether.   

Regarding the survey results, Dr. Will Wei Lin, Chief Marketing Officer, Simplilearn, said, “The pandemic has impacted professionals irrespective of gender or age. This has also been a challenging time for many in terms of career growth. However, it is promising to see the optimism in terms of post-pandemic development, and it is no doubt that the importance of continued learning has come through during this time. 2022 has been a year of transition. Digital transformation has come a long way from the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Enterprises today completely understand the need to have a digitally-skilled workforce. Further, In line with the survey findings, the positive sentiment of employees towards overall economic growth also extends to their individual needs for professional growth and development. We have seen a consistent upward trend amongst professionals and students in upskilling themselves in the latest skills.” 

He further added, “What is interesting is that the desire to upskill is prevalent across levels and not limited to entry-level employees, with 77% CXOs and leaders stating that they plan to spend more time learning this year. This finding also indicates a dynamic and rapid shift across industries that requires all professionals, irrespective of designation, to upskill in new-age skills quickly and effectively. Upskilling has become a strong priority for all employees and enterprises, and we aim to continue empowering learners with relevant digital economy skills.” 

At the same time, the ongoing competition for tech talent has persuaded some organizations to hire candidates who demonstrate good soft skills and a willingness to learn new technology skills to match the demands of their new positions. As a result, individuals who demonstrate responsibility for their own skill development and a history of ongoing learning are better positioned to compete for open jobs and command higher salaries. 

Insights from the survey report indicate the following: 
•    64% of respondents are optimistic about the economy's growth and believe that the pandemic will fade away 

While there is some uncertainty about continued economic recovery and the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, CXOs and VPs/Department Heads are most optimistic about recovery from the pandemic. People in large companies (5,000 to 9,999 employees) are optimistic about the pandemic ending but somewhat less certain about economic recovery. 
•    Scarcity of critical skills was observed as the biggest challenge for respondents  

While 37% of respondents cited lacking skill certifications or new skills their jobs required as an obstacle to career growth, 18% cited a lack of soft skills like verbal and written communication, supervisory skills, and presentation. 
•    Data Science and Project Management were the top skills chosen by learners for upskilling 

28% of the respondents who were planning to do better in their current roles and 30% of those who were looking to pivot to a new career showed interest in skills such as Data Science, Digital Marketing, and Project Management.   
•    Both large and small enterprises emphasize continued learning 

75% of employees in very small firms (fewer than 50 employees) and 73% of people in very large firms (over 10,000 employees) said they were planning to spend more time learning in the coming year. One inference from this finding is that small firms' employees need to keep their skills current with emerging technologies and want a well-rounded skill set. Another insight is that large enterprises value continuous learning and encourage their employees to refresh their skills.   
1.    77% CXOs said that they are planning to spend more time on learning this year 

The top and bottom of organizations are most interested in learning and upskilling. 77% of CXOs said they plan to spend more time learning in the coming year (compared to 69% of all respondents). 72% of individual contributors said they plan to spend more time learning in the coming year.