Employees Take Responsibility For Their Own Development
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The scale and duration of the recent economic downturn has forced many employees to look afresh at the whole area of training and professional development—one that was previously guided by an employer.
Now, employees know they cannot solely rely on an employer to direct this important element of their career development. A new generation of workers is taking on much greater responsibility for their training and professional development, including the way it is provided and funded—and this is reflected clearly in the research conducted by Kelly resources in 2013.
The past two decades have radically altered the way skills are acquired and developed. Skills are no longer “front-end loaded” onto a career. Rather they are increasingly embedded as part of lifelong learning and development.
The upgrading and renewal of skills plays a critical role in personal and professional development. It also has a vital role in broader workforce development, which is the cornerstone of organisational efficiency and productivity.
All skills have a finite life, and in industries subject to high rates of technological change and innovation, the lifespan of skills is becoming shorter. Increasingly, new skills will need to be learned and deployed throughout a working life.
Importantly, employees recognize that they need to take control of this important aspect of their careers, and think strategically about how they invest in the development of their intellectual and professional capital. It is clear that decisions about training and professional development are now an integral part of the employment equation, and have an important bearing on employee morale, performance and retention.
