Majority of Singaporeans seek upskilling in jobs

Most workers in Singapore seek upskilling in jobs, with 91% highlighting that they want learning and development opportunities, highlighted a survey by human resources solutions agency Randstad Singapore.

Despite this, only 22% received them from their employers over the past 12 months.

The bi-annual 222 Randstad Workmonitor survey also found that 73% of respondents agreed that training and development is important, with 56% citing soft skills, 49% citing career development and 47% citing technical skills as the areas they wish to receive training for.

Most workers (87%) also want to speak to a career coach about earning a higher income, followed by better work-life balance (49%) and career advancement (40%).

READ: Employee sentiment towards workplace learning falls in Singapore

Jaya Dass, Managing Director of Permanent Recruitment, Asia Pacific, Randstad, commented, “Singaporeans are keen to develop their soft and technical skills to be more productive at work and have more employment options to choose from, especially in growth sectors like technology, e-commerce and digital banking.”

“Companies that invest in upskilling their workforce will have a more productive and skilled workforce. Organisations will also be more capable of attracting and retaining talent who seek development opportunities to grow into value-add and meaningful jobs,” she added.