More tech skills needed for the jobs of the future

The majority of Australian workers believe they will need technology training within the next two years if they are to keep their current role, according to new research commissioned by Salesforce.

The research was carried out by YouGov Galaxy and focused on Australian workers’ experiences and expectations on training for the jobs of the future.

It found that almost nine in 10 workers believe they should not have to carry the cost of access to technology training.

These results come as Australian CEOs look to prepare their businesses for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Salesforce views business, especially technology companies, as having a unique responsibility in ensuring all workers have an equal opportunity to access the jobs of the future and that no workers are left behind.

Business, educators and government together can create world-class educational and apprenticeship programs to invest in the future of the workforce. Government, business, educators and unions all have a responsibility to ensure that Australian workers are ready for this change, and the YouGov Galaxy research shows that workers agree.

The online survey by YouGov Galaxy of 1001 workers found:

• The majority of workers (88%) believe that all Australians should have equal access to technology training that will equip them for jobs of the future at no cost.
• Workers look to employers (45%) and government (40%) rather than individuals (23%) to fund this retraining.
• The vast majority (95%) of workers believe Australian employers, universities, training providers and technology companies need to collaborate more closely to prepare workers for jobs of the future.
• The majority of workers (69%) say the type of course they are most likely to do if they wanted to improve their technology skills for jobs of the future would be flexible online courses available on demand and self-paced with hands-on practical assessments.
• Cost (63%) is nominated by Australian workers as the number one barrier to accessing training to improve their technology skills. The other two main barriers are a lack of time to attend classes (51%) and uncertainty as to what type of training they should be doing (38%).
• When it comes to performance in training people in technologies relevant to jobs of the future, workers say schools and tertiary institutions have done a better job than employers and the government.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/shutter_m

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