Many employers are failing to invest in training and development at senior employee levels and aren’t always equipped to spot signs of talent, suggests research.
Businesses could be missing opportunities to upskill talented employees by focusing only on sector experience, rather than potential, says the research from the Executive Development Network (EDN).
Even though 83.3% of businesses believe it is important for senior level employees to undertake continued training, only 40% of businesses offer training and apprenticeships geared towards senior management. More than 80% of employees believe there’s less emphasis on training as they progress through their careers. Less than half of businesses (46.3%) offer apprenticeships at all career levels. Most employees (58.5%) believe apprenticeships are only for school leavers.
The EDN has partnered with HR professionals and consultants to create the See V toolkit, providing businesses with tips on how to spot the signs of talent and tease this out via lifelong learning, including apprenticeships.
It shines a light on how focusing too heavily on industry experience and holding on to outdated perceptions around lifelong learning – such as apprenticeships – is holding businesses back from training at all career levels.
While only a quarter of employees (25.9%) see apprenticeships as a viable training option for anyone at any stage of their career, 77% of those surveyed said if they were offered a job with the prospect of doing an apprenticeship to develop their skills, they would take it.
Jill Whittaker, managing director, EDN, said: “There are huge misconceptions around apprenticeships in the UK. Most employees believe they are only for those leaving school, and less than half of businesses offer this flexible training option to workers at all career stages, meaning there are great swathes of employees around the country with untapped potential talent, or who think they have no means to diversify their skills while with their current employer.
- Free toolkit: https://bit.ly/3Na0Vep