Hungarians say more training vital to remain competitive in job market
May 05, 2009 - Even in the face of economic recession, the importance of training and skills development has been highlighted by a recent international workplace survey that shows approximately five out of six Hungarian respondents believe their current skills will be outdated within five years.
The survey, by global workforce solutions leader Kelly Services, finds more than half of the respondents believe the training currently provided by their employers will not meet their future career needs.
The Kelly Global Workforce Index obtained the views of nearly 100,000 people in 34 countries including more than 5,000 in Hungary.
Kelly Services - Anikó Jónás, Managing Director of Kelly Services Hungary Ltd. - says that in an increasingly competitive global economy, investing in vital human capital can become a key competitive advantage for firms. "Training may not seem a priority in the present economic climate, but organizations that devote the resources will be more likely to see higher productivity and profitability in the future," Jónás says.
The survey highlights the significance that employees across the generational age groups place on training and skills development to sustain them in a rapidly changing labor market.
Among the key findings of the survey:
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Baby boomers (aged 48-65) are most worried about the level of training they receive, with 63 percent saying it is not sufficient to upgrade skills and advance their career.
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87 percent of Gen X (aged 30-47) say that within the next five years their skills will need to be upgraded to keep pace with changes in the workplace.
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Gen Y (aged 18-29) receive the most help from their HR department to achieve their employment goals.
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Most Gen X respondents (81 percent) see the provision of training as a joint responsibility between the employer and employee.
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On-the-job training is the preferred form of training nominated by employees.
Across generations, more men than women are concerned that employers are not providing adequate training and believe their skills will need to be updated within the next five years to keep pace with industry developments.
Among respondents, 79 percent say that training should be a joint responsibility between an employer and employee. The preference among those surveyed is for on-the-job training (46 percent), followed by professional development courses (25 percent), self-initiated learning (15 percent) and formal university or college qualifications (14 percent).
Anikó Jónás says the findings reveal the depth of concern across the population at the capacity of the current skills base to meet new workforce challenges.
"The current economic environment has made people very aware of their skills and whether they will be sufficient to survive the recession and beyond, into a period of economic recovery," Jónás says.
"It is only very recently that we faced skills shortages across many industries, and unless skills and training are enhanced, that situation may occur in the future. Increased competition for jobs combined with technological change makes it vital that employees are assisted to become even more productive, through the best training possible," Anikó Jónás concludes.
Media Contact:
Jónás Anikó
Managing Director
email: ajonas@kellyservices.hu
tel: 06-1/354-2770
About the Kelly Global Workforce Index
The Kelly Global Workforce Index is a survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. Results of the current findings from across Kelly's global operations in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific will be published throughout 2009 in a series of six releases.
About Kelly Services
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a world leader in workforce management services and human resources solutions, offering temporary staffing services, outsourcing, vendor on-site and full-time placement to clients on a global basis. Kelly provides employment to nearly 650,000 employees annually, with skills including office services, accounting, engineering, information technology, law, science, marketing, creative services, light industrial, education, and health care. Revenue in 2008 was $5.5 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com