12 Million British Workers Did Not Receive Any Training In The Last Year

* One in four British workers can lack the skills to do their jobs properly * Almost a third of British workers admitted to lying or exaggerating about skills * Almost one in five British workers think advanced IT skills will earn them more money rch launched today reveals:

Research launched today reveals:

  • One in four British workers can lack the skills to do their jobs properly
  • Almost a third of British workers admitted to lying or exaggerating about skills
  • Almost one in five British workers think advanced IT skills will earn them more money

44% of British workers have not received any training in the past year, according to new research commissioned by KnowledgePool, worldwide training provider, and conducted by MORI.

The research showed that the average number of training days for workers was just 5.9, compared to the 7.1 days workers spend ill in bed. With the training deficit meaning that workers spend more time off sick than in training, it is perhaps not surprising that a quarter of workers admitted to lacking the skills required to do their jobs properly, at least some of the time. Even one in ten managers confessed to lacking these skills regularly, a similar proportion to clerical and administrative workers.

Two-fifths of British workers also believed their colleagues lack the requisite skills to do their job. Furthermore, almost a third of British workers admitted to lying or exaggerating about skills: 16% admitted to lying in an interview, over a tenth on their CVs and 6% to a senior member of staff.

Yet this deficit is not irretrievable. The research shows that British workers want to learn and 23% said training was the most important consideration when looking for a new job. Almost a third (31%) also believed that they would do their jobs better with more training and almost everyone felt that they are good at picking up new skills. Possible cynicism about the motives behind training was called into question as over four fifths of workers said they trained to improve their performance in their current jobs (81%). 44% also said that they trained in order to enjoy their jobs more.

The Value of Skills

Personal, management and development skills (soft skills), as opposed to technical skills, were the most useful to workers in their jobs. Over three-quarters (76%) cited communication skills as most useful to them, with 65% naming team working and self-motivation. In comparison, only 38% mentioned basic IT, and only one in five, advanced IT. Workers also believed that employers valued soft skills most highly, with 44% stating that communication was the most valued skill. However, if workers could only mention one skill when applying for a job, the highest proportion, 26%, would choose self-motivation.

Susan Walker, Head of MORI's HR Research said, "Despite increasing recognition that people are a company's most important asset and heightened awareness of the importance of training, this research for KnowledgePool has shown that far too many companies are still not providing sufficient training. The report shows that it is soft skills such as communication, self-motivation and team working that are considered the most useful by workers. Rather than paying lip service to training, it is in organisations' interests to provide training, both to motivate their workers and for hard business benefits".

Conversely, British workers believed the skill most overrated by employers was a degree, over a third thought this, with the figure rising as workers get older. Academic A-Levels were also seen as overrated by a quarter of workers, while only 9% said the same of vocational A-Levels.

The Gender Split

The research also found a marked difference between male and female attitudes to training and skills. Working men were twice as likely to lie or exaggerate about skills than women. Twice as many men also believed that they have more useful skills than their boss. Men were also far happier learning new skills on the job than women with 40% citing it as their favourite method compared to just 29% of women.

Additional Findings:

  • 70% of respondents felt that learning through virtual classrooms could be the main learning method in the future
  • 31% of workers admitted to lying or exaggerating about skills and were most likely to lie about technical skills
  • 16% of workers felt they have more useful skills than their boss
  • A quarter or workers felt that with proper training they could do their boss's job in six months.
  • Older workers found almost all skills less useful than younger workers

Technical details

MORI interviewed 886 GB workers between 11-15 April 2002. Several questions were asked of the British public (2,037). Interviews took place in respondents' homes in 189 locations throughout Britain. Data has been weighted to match the profile of the British population.

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