Fewer women and people of colour are getting access to the skills they need to advance their careers, revealed a new study.
The survey conducted by Reputation Leaders, and sponsored by DeVry University, reveals significant barriers to upskilling for US workers, especially for women and people of colour. The report, Closing the Activation Gap: Converting Potential to Performance by Upskilling the Workforce, provides an in-depth look at American workers and companies and their participation in skills development opportunities, which are critical in driving worker retention, career advancement, business growth and economic competitiveness in a complex global environment.
Overall, the survey indicates that too many American employees are falling through a newly obvious ‘say/do gap’. They say that ongoing, focused skills development is essential to their careers but not actually participating in it. According to the report’s findings, eight in 10 employers say they offer company-paid upskilling benefits, yet estimate that only half of workers (51%) use them. The survey also reveals that women and people of colour are disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to skills development opportunities due to structural barriers that are not being addressed. This puts both employers and workers at a disadvantage in today’s competitive marketplace.
URGENT WAKE-UP CALL
“The American workforce and jobs economy is evolving at a rate never seen before. And the ability for workers to grow and adapt is the difference between career and business success and stagnation. Continued skills development and growth is a necessity, not simply a nice-to-have,” stated Elise Awwad, President and CEO of survey sponsor DeVry University. “As the leader of an educational institution dedicated to providing learners and employers with the skills they need to succeed, this is an urgent wake-up call for workers, businesses and educators to put action behind the desire to adequately meet the demands of an increasingly competitive labour market and complicated global economy.”
While the survey delivers a number of insights regarding employer and worker perspectives on upskilling, the data makes clear that bias and structural barriers persist for certain American workers seeking professional learning opportunities.
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS PERSIST
The survey uncovered how gender disparities impact access to learning and development opportunities, with 73% of men having access compared to only 56% of women. Despite a majority (55%) stating that upskilling is essential for their future career development, only 37% of surveyed women say they have actually used company-paid skills training. This is compared to 56% of men. This gap in access is contributing to high turnover rates that are seeing women leave their jobs at twice the rate of men. The lack of time and family obligations are the biggest obstacles to pursuing upskilling, according to the survey participants.
The survey also found that Black, Hispanic, and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers acknowledge upskilling as a necessity for their future career development. Yet only 42% currently have access to and use company-paid upskilling. This is due, in part, to systemic barriers and bias. An average of 37% of Black, Hispanic, and AAPI workers indicated that workplace bias and discrimination are impediments to their own skills development goals. In addition, 80% of Black and 71% of Hispanic workers who do not have access to company-paid skill training would be highly likely to use it, compared to 62% of white workers.
TIME TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES
Even with employers (97%) and employees (96%) unanimously agreeing that upskilling is essential or nice to have for continued professional success, both groups acknowledge that they could be doing more to support access to or take advantage of skills development opportunities. Only one in three workers think employers are living up to their responsibility to upskill American workers for the future workplace. The report also examines how workers and employers think and talk about skills priorities differently. It found that employers prioritise softer skills like leadership, while workers prioritise hard, more technical skills like AI and software engineering.
However, there is common ground between the priorities of these two groups, as hard and soft skills often intersect in learning and development programmes. “As the labour market undergoes a transformation that calls for new skill sets, employers and workers must address the inequities and obstacles that persist and inhibit workers from accessing critical opportunities for career growth,” added Awwad. “While there are many organisations working to upskill American professionals, providing upskilling that does not effectively address these barriers in access will negatively impact productivity, efficiency and economic growth.”
Click here to read the full survey.
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