Indian employees say more training vital to be competitive: Survey

The importance of continued training and skills development has been highlighted by a recent international workplace survey that shows approximately nine out of ten Indian respondents believe their current skills will be outdated within five years.

The survey, by global workforce solutions leader Kelly Services, finds more than a third 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 almost 5,000 in India.

Dhiren Shantilal, senior vice president – Asia Pacific, Kelly Services, says, "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 organisations that devote the resources will be more likely to see higher productivity and profitability in future."

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 respondents, 69 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 (52 percent), followed by professional development courses (33 percent), self-initiated learning (13 percent) and formal university or college qualifications (3 percent). More women respondents preferred on-the-job training, and men preferred professional development courses as the best method to upgrade their skills.

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 well aware of their skills and whether they will be sufficient to survive the recession and beyond, into a period of economic recovery," Shantilal adds.

The Kelly Global Workforce Index is a survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. 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. The company's revenue in 2008 was $5.5 billion.