Workers too busy to upskill
by Kelly Stone
Australian workers are too busy to take on further education and training, the 2009 Australian Work and Life Index (AWALI) report has found.
"There is simply not much room in workers’ lives to add another activity or commitment – and our professional development is suffering," said one of the report’s authors, Professor Barbara Pocock from UniSA’s Centre for Work + Life.
"Time constraints are a major barrier and many employees just can’t fit additional commitments to education and training into their lives already characterised by frequent work-life strains."
The report found that 60 per cent of employees who were not in education or training believed they would get financial support or time allowed to complete studies from their employers. However, over two-thirds of these employees said they do not have enough time to undertake education or training.
"Work-life conflict and a lack of time were significant barriers in participation in education and training," Prof Pocock said.
The barriers identified by employees who were not currently studying and did not anticipate doing any education or training in the next year included time constraints (67.8 per cent), and study not fitting in with family and other life commitments (54.9 per cent).
Prof Pocock said the situation was particularly dire for women who were not currently studying, with nearly 80 per cent of full-time working women saying they don’t have time to take on education or training, and nearly two-thirds of their part-time counterparts agreeing. She said with the increasing feminisation of the workforce, it will be particularly important for women to make time to upskill if Australia is to be competitive.
"Women are more likely to identify time constraints as a barrier - 72.7 per cent of women, compared to 63.6 per cent of men - and are less confident of employer support with 57.5 per cent of women expecting employers support, compared to 65.5 per cent of men," she said.
"The challenge for employers and training providers is to develop realistic strategies for participation that enable workers to manage all of their work, life and family commitments. Reducing work hours is not likely to be sufficient, especially for women, because nearly 70 per cent of part-time women say they don’t have time for study.
"Options such as paid study leave or integrating education and training into paid work time need to be given serious consideration by employers who wish to encourage and support the education and training of their employees. Success in meeting work-life barriers to education and training is an important policy aspiration."