Over 80% of working professionals plan to upskill this year: Report

Nearly 87% of professionals in Bengaluru and Chennai have expressed their intent to invest in upskilling in the financial year 2024-25, according to a report released by global ed-tech Great Learning on Monday, PTI wrote.

The report, 'Upskilling Trends Report 2024-25' also identified that the intent to upskill among freshers has increased by eight percentage points, standing at 83 per cent this year as compared to last year.

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Which sectors have the most intent to upskill?

The intent to upskill this year was highest among professionals from manufacturing, engineering, capital goods, and BFSI, according to the report.

Data science, AI and machine learning emerged as the most preferred domains professionals are looking to upskill," said Hari Krishnan Nair, co-founder of Great Learning.

What do professionals feel?

According to the report, nearly 79% of the surveyed professionals and 92% of those with over 17 years of experience cite upskilling as crucial for career growth.

The report also identified that confidence among Indian professionals to retain their jobs also sees a notable decline amid tech disruptions and macroeconomic situations.

The percentage of people expressing confidence has plummeted to 62%, a nine percentage point drop from the previous year, stated the report. Last year, 71% of professionals expressed confidence in job retention.

"This sentiment can be attributed to the globally prevalent macroeconomic conditions and the widespread layoffs," said Nair.

Only 29 per cent of entry-level professionals are confident about retaining their jobs, according to the report.

“Various industry data mirrors this sentiment," he added. "In March, the Naukri JobSpeak Index, India's most comprehensive measure of white-collar hiring, stood at 2,657, an 11% dip in the number of job openings compared to March last year.”

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The report and its purpose

The report was made in collaboration with a research agency, surveying over 1,000 professionals across major sectors to unearth key trends and factors influencing the upskilling preferences of Indian professionals in the coming year, according to its press release.

The report, according to Nair, aims to assist professionals and businesses in comprehending how these trends will impact jobs, predicting the required skills, and preparing themselves to stay ahead of the competition.

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