Younger workers more likely to be offered skills training

Dive Brief:

When it comes to skills training, older workers are less likely to have opportunities than their younger counterparts, according to a study by Clutch. The company found that in the past three years 51% of workers 55 and older were offered job retraining, compared to 84% of workers between 18 and 34. Training was offered to 69% of respondents in the 35 to 54 age range, said Clutch.
Union workers, the study found, are more satisfied overall with their skills training opportunities. Almost two-thirds of union members said they were offered retraining in the last three years, compared to only 54% of non-union workers. Apprenticeship programming may be a factor, as many union workers have access to skilled apprentice training, Clutch noted.
Company size may also be a factor in the availability of skills training, the report found. Workers at organizations with more than 500 employees were more likely (61%) to be offered skills training than those at smaller businesses (48%), Clutch said. The survey polled more than 500 U.S. workers.

Dive Insight:

While training budgets are increasing, many workers are frustrated and unsatisfied with the available offerings. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics suggested that employees are spending more than a month of the work year on training. However, less than half of workers believe the skills they're learning are preparing them for jobs of the future, according to a recent Axonify study. The challenge for employers is to provide training that's relevant for today with an eye on tomorrow. For HR, the first step may be evaluating what their organizations are providing and assessing workers' participation rates before brainstorming new solutions.

While the majority of older workers in this current study were less likely to be trained, skills training is not the only area where older workers might encounter disparate treatment. A recent study revealed 21% of workers older than 40 experienced some form of bias in the workplace. For workers in tech-based industries, promotion opportunities can diminish early in their careers (at age 36). Some older workers have called this out with lawsuits against industry giants, like IBM, that they allege discriminated against them to cultivate a younger, "cooler" workforce.