Time for a work-learn balance, says new TUC survey

There is huge pent-up demand for learning new skills among the British workforce, but a range of obstacles - topped by overwork and stress - prevent many employees from taking up training, according to a new poll published by the TUC today (Monday).

The poll asked a sample of people at work whether they wanted more training, what had put them off taking up training and what would help them in the future.

The top two reasons for not taking up training suggests that the UK needs a new íwork-learní balance, with just under one in three (29 per cent) saying that they donít have time because they have to look after children or have other caring responsibilities. The same proportion (29 per cent) say that their current job has such long hours or is so stressful that they do not have the time or energy to take up a course.

Women (42 per cent) are more than twice as likely as men (18 per cent) to say they have caring responsibilities that stop them taking up training. Just under one in three women (29 per cent) say help with childcare would encourage them to take up training (only one in six men - 16 per cent cite this), while one in three women (33 per cent), compared to one in five men (22 per cent), say that more support from a spouse or partner would help.

But men and women agree on a range of other issues that can help boost training. Nearly four out of five (77 per cent) back paid time off from work, one in three (32 per cent) would take time off even if it meant losing pay, and more than two in five (42 per cent) say less overtime (paid or unpaid) would help them take up more training.

More than half the workforce (52 per cent) say that they would like their employer to provide more training, and two in five (42 per cent) say they would like to take up training outside work that would help them get a better job. But employers who are worried that their staff want training so that they can get a better job elsewhere will be reassured that only one in five (21 per cent) give this as a reason for seeking new skills.

However the survey also reveals a range of measures that can help people learn new skills at work. Among the most popular is a work colleague who knows about training opportunities and can help advise potential learners. Three in five (60 per cent) say that help and advice from a colleague at work with special knowledge would help. This is a big vote of confidence in the 8,000 plus active union learning reps already fulfilling this function in workplaces across the UK.

Union learning reps are specially trained union members tasked with helping their colleagues access training opportunities at work. The poll is published to coincide with the launch of a new film called íLove learningí, which promotes the work of the learning reps.

The film features case studies from around the country speaking candidly about how they struggled with reading, writing and IT before doing courses at work, suggested by the union learning rep.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: Britainís skills gap can be closed. This survey shows huge demand for work related learning, and a real hunger to get on at work. But the biggest barrier to learning is the overwork and long hours culture of too many UK workplaces. We have always said that long hours working hinders productivity. Now we know it stops people getting the new skills that can make workplaces more efficient.

The survey gives a massive vote of confidence to union learning reps and strengthens the argument for paid time off for employees to study, with three-quarters of workers saying this would give them the boost they need to train.

íLove learningí further emphasises the crucial role union learning reps play in helping thousands of people learn new skills. The powerful and moving accounts in the film highlight the fear people have about confronting their demons, and show the real difference learning has made to both their professional and personal lives.

Summary of findings

Demand for learning

There is considerable satisfaction with the amount of training employees get at work (three quarters are happy with the amount).

Nevertheless, over half of employees are ambitious and would like their employer to train them in new skills that would help them get promoted or secure a better job (52 per cent).

This demand for skills is not however confined to training at work - over two in five (42 per cent) would like to do some training or education outside work that would help them get a better job.

Employers do not need to fear that offering learning opportunities would lead to their workers wanting to leave for better jobs. Only one in five (21 per cent) stated that their main interest in training was that it would help them change their employer.

These views vary considerably across the age range:

The older the worker the more satisfied he/she is with the training they get (81 per cent of 55-64 year olds are satisfied compared to 73 per cent of 16-24 year olds).

Younger people are keener to learn (70 per cent of 16-24 year olds want to train compared to 39 per cent of 45-54 year olds and just 19 per cent of 55-64 year olds).

Older workers are also less likely to want to train in order to change their employer (11 per cent of 45-54 year olds compared to 32 per cent of 25-34 year olds).

The desire to learn new skills is not determined by class. Half of semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers (DEs) would like their employer to train them in new skills to help them get promoted or get a better job, and almost a third of them (31 per cent) want training to help them change their employer. This demand for new skills is higher than for managerial/professional (47 per cent ABs); only 18 per cent of who want training to help change their employer. The greatest demand comes from those in supervisory/junior management positions (60 per cent C1s).

The largest demand for learning outside work to help get a better job comes from unskilled and semi-skilled manual workers (47 per cent DEs compared to 37 per cent ABs). Many of these workers will have low or no qualifications, with the Government providing them with incentives through entitlements to free tuition up to basic skills and level 2 qualifications, the equivalent of five GCSEs at grade A*-C.

Barriers to learning
There are a number or reasons why employees have stopped taking up new training or education in the last three years. Most of the reasons are time or funding related.

As many as 29 per cent of employees were working such long hours or had so stressful a workload that they did not have the time to take up a course. This was most marked for those in full-time work (35 per cent compared to 16 per cent of part-time workers). This work-learn balance was more of a problem for workers in large workplaces with more than 250 employees (37 per cent) as opposed to small ones with less than 50 employees (24 per cent).

Another barrier was lack of time to study because of dependants to look after outside working time - with 29 per cent reporting this as a problem. It was a major barrier to learning for middle-aged women in low skilled, part-time jobs in large workplaces. As many as 42 per cent of women did not have the time to learn.

It was also the greatest problem for workers in the 35-44 year age group (46 per cent) and for those in the lowest unskilled manual jobs (32 per cent DEs compared to 24 per cent ABs).

Money as well as time was also an issue. Over a fifth (21 per cent) could not afford a course that they would like to do. This was much more of a problem for low skilled manual workers (25 per cent DEs) compared to those in managerial/professional jobs (2 per cent ABs). Funding was more of a problem for women (25 per cent) than for men (18 per cent).

Some employees did not see learning as a high priority, with 27 per cent saying that they had not got around to it. This was particularly marked for those in low skilled jobs (41 per cent DEs compared to 19 per cent ABs). It also might be partly related to a lack of knowledge as to where to look for a suitable course (25 per cent DEs compared to 2 per cent ABs).

Access to learning

Almost two thirds of employees (66 per cent) felt that it would be useful if their employer gave them more training in work time and this demand was high throughout all the age groups except for 55-64 year olds where it fell sharply (38 per cent).

It was highest from supervisory/junior management grades (69 per cent C1s), followed by low skilled workers (63 per cent DEs). It was also highest amongst full-time (65 per cent) as opposed to part-time (58 per cent) workers and much more prevalent from those in large workplaces (72 per cent) than small ones (57 per cent).

A major issue is how this should be done. There is a very high demand for paid time off from work to train. Over three-quarters (77 per cent) of employees wanted such provision without losing pay. This demand was more prevalent in the age group 16-44 (over 85 per cent) compared to the age group 55-65 (56 per cent). It was high across all social grades, but the demand was greater from those employees working in large workplaces (82 per cent) than in small ones (76 per cent).

Understandably, there was less interest in time off from work if it meant losing some pay. Nevertheless, about a third (32 per cent) would find it useful. As with the demand for paid time off, the younger the age group and the larger the workplace, the greater the demand. Those in part-time employment would find it more useful (37 per cent) than full-time workers (30 per cent). Interestingly, there was not a correlation between such demand and occupational status. The group that would find it the most useful was the semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers (34 per cent).

A high proportion of employees (42 per cent) felt that more time off for study could be facilitated by employers not expecting them to work overtime, whether paid or unpaid.

Almost half of young workers (48 per cent 16-24) were of this view, which was only shared by a quarter of older workers (26 per cent 55-64). It was those in supervisory and junior managerial jobs (48 per cent C1s) who most held this view on overtime, as opposed to skilled manual (33 per cent C2s). There was also a significant difference between full-time (44 per cent) and part-time workers (37 per cent), perhaps because of the lower incidence of overtime worked by the latter.

A relatively high proportion of workers would find it useful to have childcare whilst they studied (29 per cent women/16 per cent men). This was particularly a need for the younger age groups (35 per cent 25-34 /29 per cent 35- 44). This demand was highest amongst supervisory and junior managerial workers (27 per cent C1s). Twice as many part-time (34 per cent) than full-time workers (17 per cent) would find childcare useful whilst they studied.

As many as 28 per cent of workers would find it useful if they had more support from their spouse. This was particularly true for female workers (33 per cent) and for semi and unskilled manual workers (36 per cent DEs) - the Educating Rita effect.

There has been a large increase in the number of trained union learning representatives in recent years, and there are now over 8,000 across Britain. Their statutory functions include providing support and advice on learning to colleagues. There is clearly a considerable demand for this role in the workplace. Three in five felt that it would be useful to have access to help and advice from a colleague with special knowledge of what training is available. Almost twice the proportion of younger workers thought it would be most useful (74 per cent 16-24) than older workers (38 per cent 55-64). It was those in supervisory/junior management grades that thought it would be the most useful (69 per cent C1s), followed by semi- and unskilled manual workers (63 per cent DEs).