PwC: Upskilling increasing inequality worldwide due to bias

Although the pandemic has accelerated digital upskilling, half of the global workforce is missing out on training and career opportunities due to bias, reveals a global workforce study.

The survey found that 50% of workers faced discrimination at work, which led to them missing out on training and/or career advancement, confirmed the PwC study of 32,500 workers in 19 countries found unequal access to career and training opportunities. Despite 40% of workers saying their digital skills improved during the lockdown, 13% reported missing out on opportunities as a result of ethnicity. A further 14% of workers have experienced discrimination on the grounds of gender; with women twice as likely to report gender discrimination as men.

Another 13% reported discrimination on the basis of class; with post-graduates and others with higher qualifications more likely to report prejudice. Younger people are just as likely as older people to report discrimination based on age. On top of that, the survey found disparities in access to upskilling opportunities. While 46% of people with postgraduate degrees said their employer gives them many opportunities to improve their digital skills, just 28% of people with school-leaver qualifications reported the same.

AUTOMATION IMPACT ON JOBS

The research paints a picture of a global workforce that sees the shift to remote working as just the tip of the iceberg. The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated a number of workforce trends. For example, around 60% of employees are worried that automation is putting many jobs at risk; 48% believe ‘traditional employment won’t be around in the future’; and 39% think it is likely that their job will be obsolete within five years.

“If current patterns in access to training persist, upskilling will increase social inequality when it should be doing precisely the opposite,” stated Bhushan Sethi, Joint Global Leader of PwC’s People and Organisation Practice. “Government and business leaders need to work together to intensify efforts to ensure people in the most-at risk industries and groups get the opportunities they need. Automation and technological disruption are inevitable, but we can control whether its negative effects are managed or not.”

On a positive note, 40% of workers said their digital skills have been improved through the prolonged period of lockdown; and claim they will continue to embrace training and skill development. But the study found that training opportunities are focused on those who already possess a high levels of skills. So people are taking their future into their own hands. Around 77% are ‘ready to learn new skills or completely re-train’; and 74% see training as a matter of personal responsibility. Another 80% are confident they can adapt to new technologies entering their workplace, with a large majority in India(69%) and South Africa (66%) saying they are ‘very’ confident. In addition, 49% of workers are focusing on building entrepreneurial skills to set up their own business.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS REMOTE WORKING

The survey also reveals that remote working will persist post-lockdown. In fact, most employees want the option to work remotely moving forward. Of those who can work remotely, 72% of say they prefer a mixture of in-person and remote working; with only 9% stating they’d like to go back to their traditional work environment full-time. This is particularly true of professionals, such as office workers, business owners and the self-employed; all of whom are able to perform their jobs remotely using technology. Home working need not be limited to professional jobs. Around 43% of manual workers and 45% of semi-skilled workers say there are many elements of their job that they are able to do remotely.

People’s attitudes to working from home also varies by location, providing further evidence of how the pandemic has increased the global digital divide. Workers in metropolitan areas (66%) are more likely to work in roles that could allow remote working than those who live in rural areas (44%).

EMPLOYEE PRIVACY CONCERNS

Workers are also torn on privacy and technology. Around 44% of workers globally would agree to let their employer use technology to monitor their performance at work including sensors and wearable devices, with 31% against. However, many would not go as far as allowing their employers access to their personal data. Around 41% of employees said that they were unwilling to give their employer access to their personal data, including social media profiles, with only 35% willing.

Additionally, the survey also revealed that younger employees more focused on maximising income than ‘making a difference’ if forced to choose. Three-quarters of workers globally (75%) say they want to work for an organisation that will make a ‘positive contribution to society.’ This feeling was especially acute in China (87%), India (90%) and South Africa (90%). 

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES

However, economic insecurity is limiting people’s ability to pursue purpose-driven careers, with younger people particularly affected. Overall, 54% of those polled said, if forced to choose, they would prefer a job that enabled them to ‘take every opportunity to maximise their income’ over a job that ‘makes a difference’ (46%). Interestingly, those between 18 and 34 are more likely than other generations to prioritise income over purpose in their job; with 57% prioritising ‘maximising their income’ over ‘making a difference’ (43%), a margin of 14 points. Those over 55 prioritise making a difference by a margin of 8 points, which rises to 22 points amongst workers over 65.

“As the world continues to grapple with a global health crisis and economic uncertainty, we’ve seen workers come to demand more from the business community’ expecting their employers to make a positive contribution to society,” stated Peter Brown, Joint Global Leader of PwC’s People and Organisation Practice. “Fortunately, focusing on societal impact and maximising profit are not mutually exclusive; and being a purpose-led business can actually help boost your bottom line.”