Approximately one-third (33%) of British professionals do not believe that studying for professional qualifications is worth the effort.
This is according to a recent report into the value of professional qualifications by CoursesOnline.
However, 67 percent did report that the time spent on their qualifications was a worthy endeavour.
How does opinion change across job sectors?
The opinion on how valuable their qualifications are varied considerably across sectors.
The sectors that felt that the qualifications were most worthwhile were as follows:
- Social Work – 90% of respondents felt that professional qualifications were worth the effort
- Teaching & Education – 87% of respondents felt that professional qualifications were worth the effort
- Law – 85% of respondents felt that professional qualifications were worth the effort
On the other hand, the industries that felt the qualifications were least worth it were:
- Energy & Utilities – 63% of respondents felt that professional qualifications were not worth the effort
- Creative Arts & Design – 62% of respondents felt that professional qualifications were not worth the effort
- Recruitment & HR – 60% of respondents felt that professional qualifications were not worth the effort
What does this mean for training and recruitment?
When asked ‘What is your preferred source of learning for knowledge that is valuable to your job?’ the most popular response was on-the-job learning (36%).
Learning approaches that are tailored to the specific needs of those looking to learn are most popular.
“The learning material provided to see learners through the qualification process can’t afford to be generic – those studying need real-world examples as to how what they learn is applicable to their day-to-day work,” says General Manager of CoursesOnline, Sarah-Jane McQueen.
There is still support for the qualifications process
Two-thirds of respondents argued in favour of the qualifications process.
Also, a sizable minority of respondents (18%) were held back from getting the role that they wanted due to their lack of qualifications.
Nearly half of respondents (49%) believed that their level of qualification helped them to get the career role that they wanted.
A trainee nurse from North London, Kacie, studied for an Access to HE Diploma Health with the Open Study College and found what she learned to be a “tremendous help”, with the assignments that made up her qualification “forming the basis of tasks and papers I’m working on now”. In Kacie’s case, her studying flowed smoothly into her career in the medical field, and in her opinion “makes me a more attractive candidate to anyone hiring”.
Similarly, Digital Marketing Executive for Imaginarie, Annie, highlights how her time studying provided her more than just her degree in textiles as this is “something that not every industry is looking for.”
Striking the balance between receiving the appropriate academic training and receiving tailored and specific on-the-job learning may curve the effects of the skills crisis being felt by employers.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
