The best time to think about job training and gaining new skills is before you need it. And if you don’t need new skills in your job now, you will soon.
According to a report from labor market research firm Lightcast, 32% of the skills required for the average job changed between 2021 and 2024, while the 2025 “Future of Jobs” report from the World Economic Forum projects that 59% of the global workforce will need to upskill by 2030. By the end of this decade, most employees will need new skills just to do the jobs they already have.
That message is crucial for both workers and companies to hear – but so far it’s not getting through. A new survey from Gallup shows that last year, less than half of U.S. employees participated in training or education for their job, while almost 60% of Human Resource Officers interviewed said that their organizations are struggling to offer relevant training opportunities. Only 32% of employees hoping to move into a new role next year think they have the skills to succeed.
If companies and their workers both know that training today is vital to success tomorrow, why isn’t upskilling happening more often?
Finding Time Is The Hardest Part
The Gallup survey answers that question with a question: Who has the time for training?
Good workers are busy. An overwhelming 89% of Chief Human Resource Officers surveyed said that letting employees take time away from their job responsibilities was the biggest obstacle to new training. And 41% of employees said the same thing.
No other reason, including financial costs and a lack of training opportunities, came close.
That’s especially bad news for companies that need to retain employees, the Gallup survey noted, as “Employees with more obstacles to engaging in learning and development are more likely to be watching or actively searching for a new job.”
Employees who receive training in new technologies and leadership skills, on the other hand, tend to thrive and stay.
Training You Want, When You Need It, On Your Schedule
The most common upskilling experiences sought by employees, according to Gallup, include:
- external courses on technical skills (18%)
- certification programs (15%)
- professional conferences (14%)
- continuing education (13%)
- engaging with a mentor or coach (13%)
And here there’s good news for California working-age adults and employers: Calbright College’s model of adult career education offers all of those opportunities, and meets all of those needs. It’s a free one-stop shop for the kind of training workers and companies both know they need and want.
Calbright is designed to focus specifically on the technical and durable skills that will be important tomorrow, not just today. Our courses are tied directly to industry standards in areas like Information Technology, Data Analysis, Cybersecurity, Project Management, and Human Resources. The College also works directly with employers, industry leaders, and employees to go beyond the jargon to know what skills not only get someone hired but also help them thrive in their new role.
Calbright also offers coaching and counseling – again, at no charge – along with networking events and opportunities to connect with leaders in their fields.
Perhaps most importantly, Calbright addresses the biggest challenge workers have – time – by using a flexibly paced Competency-Based Education model that lets learners study on their own time and at their own pace, without penalty. Students never have to interrupt work and can work around family responsibilities to take a class, and they can go as quickly or as slowly as they need.
Calbright is the solution Gallup says workers and employers alike are looking for. “Effective upskilling means building a broader ecosystem that connects learning to business outcomes, career mobility and employee purpose,” the survey notes.
In California, we’ve built an education and job skills training institution, and proven it works. It’s a growth opportunity available to every employer, and every business, in California. The 21st century economy can be for everyone.
