Staff are willing to leave a job if the training is not up to scratch, according to research released today by Home Learning College.
A survey conducted among 3,000 British workers showed that 19% have left a job due to a lack of relevant training. At the same time, almost half (49%) said relevant training would help to compensate for not being offered a pay rise or promotion.
When asked why they had left their last job, 17% cited boredom while 13% blamed bad management. A further 8% felt undervalued. Interestingly, only 12% had left due to a lack of pay rise or promotion – often seen as primary factors influencing job satisfaction.
Given these findings it is concerning that a lack of training seems to be endemic in British businesses. Almost two thirds of workers have never received financial help from their employer towards the cost of gaining a professionally recognised qualification. A further 37% say their employer does not take any interest in developing their skills through internal or external training.
Dave Snow, academic director at Home Learning College, believes that employers should take heed and look to bolster their training provision where possible. He comments: “It’s no secret that the recent recession and continuing economic uncertainty have had a negative effect on training budgets, as well as the ability to offer pay rises and promotions. These combined factors mean that a high proportion of employees will be looking to jump ship at the first opportunity.
“Rather than letting valuable team members slip through their fingers, employers should act now to strengthen staff relations by considering all available options. Many vocational qualifications can be gained via distance learning, which is not only cost effective but also means that employees are not tied to attending set classes each week. This allows more flexibility and a greater ability to fit study around existing work commitments."
Clear regional differences exist in the likelihood of an employee clearing their desk because they haven’t received appropriate training. Almost a quarter of Londoners (23%) said they have left a previous job for this reason, in comparison to only 15% of workers in the East Midlands. Londoners are also happier to be compensated with training in lieu of a pay rise than employees from any other region (52%). Those in Yorkshire and the Humber are least likely to accept this compromise (43%).
