As the recession closes in, new research has found two thirds of Brits (67%) are considering undertaking a course in a bid to increase their employability.
With over one in ten (13%) of companies cutting back on employee training, ‘self-preneurs' are taking the matter of job security into their own hands. Topping the reasons for starting a course was the lure of a new job, with 47 per cent of people saying that this would allow them to apply for something new. However, over a third (39%) seem keen to develop their existing careers, wanting to undertake a course to add value to their current position.
But with 45 per cent stating they cannot afford to pay for training in the current financial market to ensure their employability, many could find they are trapped in a vicious circle.
Mark Huggins, Head of AA Personal Loans says: "The current climate means that we have seen a rise in a self-preneurial spirit - people are investing in themselves to ensure that they are as employable as possible. With many hopeful ‘self-preneurs' finding they have not got the funding available, we are predicting an increase in personal loans taken for this reason. Training could be one of the safest investments you could make for the future."
Pablo Lloyd, Deputy Chief Executive of learndirect says: "Given the current state of the economy there's every reason for people to take a look at their skills and think about improving them. We're seeing people from all walks of life wanting more information on the sorts of courses they can take with us and what qualifications they lead to. We expect this to increase even more after Christmas as our experience shows people think about learning new skills as one of their New Year resolutions."
Occupational hazards
Of the 2,000 people questioned, it was marketers that were the most likely to become ‘self-preneurs' because of the current climate (57%), with 75 per cent saying that this could increase their employability. Unsurprisingly, given the precariousness of the industry at present, bankers weren't far behind with 44 per cent likely to consider courses and 15 per cent saying they would do so in case they lost their job.
And it seems that even housewives/homemakers are also being affected, with over a quarter (28%) now more likely to consider courses, in a bid to make themselves more employable.
Horses for courses
Almost a quarter of ‘self-preneurs' (21%) were keen to undertake a course to gain a professional qualification and 17 per cent simply wanted to further their education. Surprisingly, only 7 per cent of people would be interested in undertaking a manual skills course even though there is an estimated shortage of 69,000 trained and qualified electricians and plumbers across the UK and therefore many potential job opportunities.
