“All of our jobs are going to change."
So said an author of a McKinsey report issued earlier this year showing how jobs in many sectors are likely to shrink.
Employees know it, and they’re not content to wait for the other shoe to drop. And there’s a message for employers. People are “going back to school by the millions,” writes Bright Horizons newly released Working Learner Index. “It’s driving “unprecedented interest in benefits such as tuition reimbursement.”
Survey Says: Employees Prioritize Learning
The study of more than 30,000 people who are learning and earning puts numbers to what benefits leaders long suspected: employees value education assistance. A lot.
- 76% say the programs makes them more likely to stick around
- 81% said tuition reimbursement would make them likely to recommend the company to a friend
- 64% says it makes them happier at work
Yet there’s more in the report than just the “why” of education benefits – but also the “how.” Degrees may still dominate many traditional tuition programs, but they’re no longer enough on their own. Today’s employees want speed and convenience, with fully online classes topping the list of what matters in program choice. It’s a message that to be strategic, employer programs will have to diversify – include online, in person, as well as certifications, boot camps, and more -- to meet modern learners where they are.
The Future of Education Benefits
Finally, perhaps most telling is exactly who’s learning. The Working Learner Index study calls working learners “a highly engaged subset of employees who are looking for credentials with a longer shelf life.” In the current excruciating tight talent market, such employees are like gold. Employers need them. Because, let’s face it, it’s not only employees who need to be future ready. “Employers face huge challenges ahead as they struggle to keep workers agile,” says the report.
An engaged workforce with people willing to pivot for themselves and the organization – that could be just the answer everyone’s been looking for.
Read the full report, here.
