Are Poles interested in upgrading their knowledge?
Almost half (44%) of the Poles surveyed by Ipsos want to upgrade their knowledge. What skills do we lack most?
The survey results show that among those declaring the need to improve their qualifications, the highest interest is shown in foreign languages (60%) and computer skills (46%), ie. the qualities that are strongly attributed to the contemporary man. Interest in learning foreign languages is mostly shown by young people (66% fall into the 25-29 age group), those occupationally active (65%), and residents of cities with a population over 200,000 (66%). Worth noting is that an identical percentage of the respondents (66%) declaring interest in foreign languages is observed among those who live in rural areas. The need was least often declared by residents of medium sized towns (48%).
According to the survey the need to obtain computer skills is predominantly connected with the age of respondents. Interest in this type of self development is indicated respectively by 49% of the respondents aged 15-19 and 39% of thirtysomethings. What's interesting, the highest interest in this skill is shown by the respondents aged 40-58 (as high as 58%).
The skills that are less popular include: work organisation (30%), stress management (30%), and communication skills (30%). The lowest number of declarations was given for management skills (21%) and appraisal skills (14%).
What skills or qualifications would you like to improve or acquire?
Who needs higher qualifications?
As shown by the Ipsos survey, the need, among Poles, to improve one's own qualifications increases with one's occupational position. The highest interest in self development is indicated by those describing themselves as professionals (77%), self employed (72%), and white-collar workers (63%).
Of high significance for one's aspiration to acquire new skills is also age. Whereas it is indicated by as many as 75% of those aged up to 24, the desire to upgrade one's qualifications is expressed by only 12% of those aged over 50.
Why do we want to improve our qualifications?
Out of those who declare the need for self development almost half (46%) justify it mainly with the need to better perform their work and the wish to gain employment (43%). Moreover, quite a common reason for supplementing one's knowledge turns out to be the need to widen one's horizons (40%). More seldom (30%) the reason to upgrade is the wish to change one's current job.
Looking at the survey results from the perspective of the respondent's place of work, the highest interest in improving qualifications is shown by employees of budgetary institutions (69%). Slightly more seldom the need to self develop is expressed by employees of private companies (55%). Relatively the lowest interest in this area is indicated by employees of state owned enterprises (46%).
Interestingly, the percentage of those who declare their readiness to self develop is identical for men and women, and in both cases amounts to 44%.
