Dive Brief:
- Private-sector employees spent an average of 34 days on learning last year, according to new research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- Nearly 80% of private-sector workers required some form of on-the-job training in 2018, BLS said in its report, Occupational Requirements in the United States.
- When broken down by category, even occupations with an advanced degree prerequisite required on-the-job training. More than 90% of accountant positions required a degree, yet almost 70% required additional on-the-job training. In production, roughly half of jobs required a high school diploma, yet more than 85% of employees needed training on the job.
Dive Insight:
Employers continue to increase training spend in response to the tight talent market and the demands of job seekers and employees. In fact, almost twice as many employers expect a budget increase for L&D initiatives this year over recent years; 43% of respondents to a recent LinkedIn survey said they anticipate a learning budget bump for 2019.
It may be no surprise then that so many private-sector employees participated in some form training on the job during the past year. Whether it's learning internal procedures or prepping for a boost in responsibility, the more training employees receive, the more they want. And for now, employers are happy to accommodate.
As training evolves away from classroom style, traditional learning to more agile, flexible and accessible learning, upskilling has become the new norm. A culture of continuous learning that's personalized to give individuals information how and when they need it is the new model for an effective L&D program. On-the-job training provides real-time information when it is most needed and when it will most likely be understood and retained.
