Amid a global talent shortage, the overwhelming majority of Canadians believe that the employer is responsible for ensuring that employees have the proper skills, according to a survey.
A study by the HR company Randstad reveals that as many as 91% of Canadian workers hold the employer responsible for ensuring that staff competencies correspond with job requirements.
This could be related to the fact that, according to the same study, more than eight in 10 Canadian workers feel that the demands on them are greater than five years ago.
“Canadians already have the highest rate of tertiary college education in the world,” says Tom Turpin, president of Randstad Canada, citing a recent OECD report on global education. “After years in school, for many, there is an expectation that they should be able to get a good job and a strong career. That’s simply an unrealistic impression in many professions.”
However, while Canadians are among the most likely to say that the onus is on the employer as far as skills are concerned, they are also among the least likely in the world to believe that formal education will become more important in their position. Only 57% agree with that notion.
And, as far as companies are concerned, Turpin says they definitely have a role to play and can benefit from engaging in skills development. “When you train someone and bring them up through the ranks, it can be beneficial to your employer brand,” he explains. “It can also be a very beneficial cost savings, removing the need to engage in a more complex hiring process or train new employees on your internal processes.”
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