IT staff scared to ask for training

Many tech staff are reluctant to request training, despite indicating a preference to stay in their current job, new report concludes

Employees in the IT and telecoms sector would prefer to develop in their current roles than seek a new job, but many are reluctant to ask their boss for more training.

That is the conclusion of a survey by the Learning and Skills Council's Train to Gain service, which found that 63 per cent of workers would rather improve in their current job, compared to just 11 per cent that would prefer to find a new position.

More than half of employees questioned said help with developing new skills would make them more likely to stay with their company, and many indicated such help would make them feel more motivated and more valued.

Two in five employers that did train their staff claimed they were able to retain more employees.

But 26 per cent of workers said they would be unlikely to ask their boss for this kind of help and a previous report indicated that less than one per cent of employers would make a conscious effort to increase training in the hope of holding onto staff.
Jaine Clarke, director of skills for employers at the Learning and Skills Council said: “This research reveals a clear need for employers to change their attitude to training if they are to reduce staff turnover and boost morale."

Sonsoles Gonzales, account director at Simon and Simon International, undertook a course of training through work. She said: "When my boss offered me training with a qualification at the end of it I was delighted. It made me feel both more motivated and more valued. My employer knows that he can get the best from me and I can see my future firmly with the company."