In addition to changing the fabric of the workplace, the global pandemic accelerated digital transformation at organizations across the board. As the economy continues to rebound, businesses are rushing to find talent with the right skills to succeed in the tech-forward new normal, building a strong case for the need for skilling.
Labor market uncertainty over the last 18 months has also caused a shift in talent behavior toward skilling. A recent Randstad study found that 88% of workers, across multiple job types, considered gaining new skills as a high priority. In keeping with this trend, online skilling vendors have seen a surge of up to 80% in subscribers since the pandemic began. Talent are taking courses to improve current skills or gain new skills across different job sectors, with technology courses being most popular.
Randstad, the world’s largest provider of staffing solutions, has pledged to skill 40,000 U.S. workers. It continues to advance upskilling and reskilling opportunities through partnerships with online course provider Udemy for STEM learning and two Corporate Social Responsibility programs: Hire Hope and Transcend.
Randstad’s partnership with Udemy offers free online learning opportunities to all STEM talent employed on its behalf in specific learning areas that align with in demand job trends. Since the program was launched in September of 2020, more than 30% of Randstad’s STEM talent (60% adoption rate) are taking courses with more than 29,000 hours of course content consumed to date. Talent are given the opportunity to enroll in free learning paths including cybersecurity, AI & machine learning, data & analytics, cloud computing, full stack web development and certification preparation. Soft skills including presentation, communication and leadership training have also been popular. With a 60% adoption rate, the partnership has offered key insights into talent and employer needs. One of the most pressing insights for employers is the ability to guide talent toward skills needed for future roles, not only their current position. Nearly all talent engaged in Randstad’s program noted that their key challenges were understanding the current and future labor market and what skills will be needed to grow their careers.
Hire Hope’s mission is to provide vulnerable and exploited women with the skills needed to change the trajectory of their lives. To date, 138 women have completed the Restore phase (readiness training), 98 have completed Grow (apprenticeship) and 64 were moved into the Thrive (employment placement) phase.
Transcend is Randstad’s best-in-class skilling program with a singular aim to prepare talent in diverse and untapped communities for temporary, temporary-to-permanent, or full-time career opportunities. By raising participants’ skills, the program helps them “transcend” their current situations and go beyond any limits they may have perceived for their future. To date, participants have benefited from more than 1,600 hours of mentorship from Randstad employees, 2,400 hours of professional development facilitated by a leadership and professional development expert, over 2,200 hours of engagement within Udemy towards course badge completions, and over 10,000 hours of instructor-led courses leading to national technology certifications.
Employers have a responsibility to ensure US workers are ready for whatever the future holds. Investing in skilling and education initiatives can help get displaced workers – particularly minorities – back to work and ensure we are accounting for the jobs lost amid the pandemic. Now more than ever Randstad is committed to skilling the workforce for future mobility and getting people back to sustainable employment.
Source: Randstad