A majority of British workers (83 per cent) say they rely on technology to do their job – but that doesn’t mean they know how to use it. This is according to the 2019 Tech Skills Index report*.
The company surveyed a total of 2,000 employed adults in the U.K. and the USA to understand how they perceive new technologies, how qualified and confident they feel about using new tech on the job, and if they believe they’ve received sufficient training to successfully leverage new tools.
Despite relying on technology at the office, employees in both countries still lack confidence in their technical abilities. Two in five working Brits (41 per cent) and one in four working Americans (28 per cent) don’t believe they have the technical skills necessary to perform in their current jobs. This feeling of under-qualification and uncertainty is related to inadequate on-the-job training. Survey findings show one in four (23 per cent) U.K. employees and nearly one in five (19 per cent) U.S. employees say they don’t receive any tech training at all.
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Meanwhile, for those that are receiving tech training, it’s not necessarily effective. In fact, two in five (39 per cent) British workers and nearly half (46 per cent) of the American workforce regret not receiving more tech training. The desire to learn more exists in both countries, with almost all employees in both the U.K. and the U.S.(91 per cent) saying they would be interested in learning new skill sets if their employers offered the opportunity to do so.
Additional report findings show:
Baby Boomers feel left behind. When comparing themselves to their younger co-workers, nearly half of Baby Boomers in both U.K. (49 per cent) say they don’t feel as tech-savvy. However, the same proportion of Baby Boomers as the general populous say they don’t have the necessary tech skills for today’s workplace (40 per cent), perhaps indicating that they are less behind than they perceive.
Insufficient training is killing career progression. Modern workers are feeling the pressure to skill-up, with one in three working Brits (33 per cent) and working Americans (32 per cent) saying they feel pressure to learn new tech-related skills to protect their jobs. Nearly half (49per cent) of workers in both countries believe training in using new technology would help them increase their chances of a promotion or raise. However, one in four working Brits (22per cent) and Americans (21per cent) don’t feel they have the necessary tech skill-sets to position themselves as an experienced candidate for a new role.
U.S. Women Lack in Tech-Confidence of UK Women. Just half of U.S. women (51per cent) feel that they’re tech-savvy, compared to three in five UK women (60per cent). This insecurity is due largely to a lack of training. In fact, one in four U.S. women (21per cent) do not receive training from their employer, and for those that do, one in four (25per cent) say they need more training to use the technology.
Claudio Erba, CEO of Docebo. said,
Employees are the key asset of an organisation. Growing your people needs to be a top priority and this involved both upskilling and reskilling. Organisations need to invest in their people through investments in training tools capable of delivering personalised, accessible content in the midst of rapid change. This ensures employees have the necessary skills and access to knowledge to excel in the digital world, close skills gaps, and embrace new technology.
*Released by Docebo
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Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
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