Ultimately, employers need to foster a culture that encourages learning and upskilling, says Udemy’s report on workplace learning trends.
According to the 2023 Workplace Learning Trends Report by online learning platform Udemy, there was a 49pc annual increase in time spent learning technical skills over the course of 2022.
To inform its report, Udemy gathered and analysed data from thousands of its Udemy Business customers all around the world. It calculated the total consumption by these customers of all of its course topics from the period 1 July 2021 to 1 July 2022.
The data showed a rise in the number of non-tech workers choosing to upskill in technology.
Udemy’s report also calculated the percentage growth in consumption of its course content compared to the year from 1 July, 2020 to 1 July, 2021.
Overall, the data from the past couple of months shows that cloud computing skills remain a primary area of focus, as do data science, 5G technology, cryptography, office productivity and IT skills.
For technical skills specifically, topics related to Amazon Web Services (AWS) claimed four out of the top 10 consumed skills. AWS certification was the most consumed skill, but AWS certifications for solutions architects and cloud practitioners also ranked highly. The remaining top 10 were Python, Java, Excel, React, Microsoft and JavaScript.
Skills for data analysis and security also proved popular among learners, with learners increasingly gravitating towards skills such as Databricks.
The report pointed out that data is becoming more than just a nice-to-have skill in many jobs. It cited a report by Tableau that estimated that by 2025 as many as 70pc of workers will need to use data very frequently in their jobs.
Python was the top most consumed development skill for its applications in data science projects, as well as development projects.
As the report pointed out, Python is beginner-friendly and has a wide range of applications meaning it is a good – and popular – option to learn.
Ultimately, employers need to foster a culture that encourages learning and upskilling.
“Learning is an ongoing practice of building skills, experiences, and knowledge through our work, not around or on top of it,” said Udemy’s chief learning officer, Melissa Daimler, commenting on the report’s findings.
“A company is not automatically a learning organisation when it offers training programmes. It may even be the opposite.
“True learning organisations are clear on their purpose, strategy, and culture. They ensure the connection between those and the skills they are building,” Daimler added.
In terms of personal skills that people are learning on Udemy, the report singled out the English language. Many people are recognising that they need good English skills to slot into the global business landscape. Korean and Spanish were also popular.
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