placeholder
Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Jobseekers want extra training to stand out

In today’s difficult economic climate, jobseekers are keen to improve their employment prospects through further training, new research from totaljobs.com reveals

  • Four in five (79%) would consider taking a course to improve their chances of securing a new role
  • Business and vocational courses are the most popular


In today’s difficult economic climate, jobseekers are keen to improve their employment prospects through further training, new research from totaljobs.com reveals[1].

In a survey of over 8,000 jobseekers, nearly four in five (79 per cent) think training courses are important to finding a job and would consider taking a course to improve their chances of securing a new role. Of these, 71 per cent think employers expect them to be more qualified than ever, while 68 per cent believe competition for job roles has intensified.

Furthermore, two-thirds (67 per cent) of those surveyed believe undertaking training courses is more important to career prospects now compared to five years ago.

Mike Fetters, graduate and public sector director at totaljobs.com, said: “Clearly, there is a huge appetite for further training amongst today’s jobseekers. Our research shows jobseekers are eager to stand out from the crowd in order to secure a job or progress further in their current role.

“There are many excellent courses available and training providers are increasingly offering evening classes and online courses so people can fit learning around their busy lives. Business and vocational courses are good options, but I’d encourage jobseekers to look into a range of courses. Even doing a class for leisure – creative arts classes and languages, for example – can help people learn new skills, build new networks and improve their confidence.”

According to the report, business skills are the most desirable, with half (49 per cent) of those surveyed stating they would be interested in taking a course to improve their expertise in areas such as IT, finance, HR or project management. This is closely followed by vocational skills, with a third (34 per cent) saying they would like to learn a trade. 

Jobseekers are also realistic about the need to be flexible in the current climate, with more than four in five (86 per cent) of those surveyed saying they would consider changing industry to improve their chances of getting a job and nearly all of those surveyed (96 per cent) would consider taking a further training course to help them switch sectors successfully.

Meanwhile, half (49 per cent) of jobseekers would choose to study online, rather than on campus or in a classroom.

[1] Totaljobs.com, completed the survey of 8,276 jobseekers in March 2014