A global EdTech company, Great Learning’s ‘Upskilling Trends Report 2024-25’, has recently revealed that 85% of Indian professionals plan to invest in upskilling in FY25, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving their skills in the face evolving job market demands.
Following are the key highlights of the report
Reduced Job Retention Confidence
The report reveals a decline in job retention confidence among Indian professionals, which has dropped to 62 percent from 71 percent the previous year. Technological changes and challenging macroeconomic conditions are primarily to blame for this reduction. According to the third edition of Great Learning’s ‘Upskilling Trends Report 2024-25’, it is alarming that just 29% of entry-level professionals feel secure about retaining their positions in FY25.
The research highlights significant trends in upskilling among Indian professionals, based on data from Great Learning’s programmes and a detailed study involving over 1000 professionals across various sectors.
Significant Upskilling Opportunities for Experienced Professionals
92% of professionals with more than 17 years of experience believe that upskilling is essential, demonstrating the great importance that people place on lifelong Learning. The IT/Telecom/Tech industries, whose employment has dropped by 16%, explain the importance of learning new skills. Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning have emerged as the top domains for upskilling, followed by Software Development and Digital Marketing. These fields are also where enterprises plan to hire the most candidates in FY25.
Professionals Face Several Challenges in Pursuing Further Education
Career growth within their organization is the primary motivation for 39% of professionals to upskill, while 17% are driven by personal interest. The fear of skills becoming outdated motivates 15%, and meeting employer expectations motivates 13%. However, office workload (34%), financial constraints (19%), and family/social commitments (14%) are cited as significant barriers to upskilling.
Hari Krishnan Nair, Co-founder of Great Learning, emphasized the importance of continuous Learning in today’s volatile economic environment, stating:
Since last year, challenging economic conditions and an unstable geopolitical situation have made it difficult for many businesses to access capital and expand profitably. Continuous Learning and upskilling are crucial for adapting and evolving to stay competitive in this dynamic environment. It is encouraging to see professionals adopting a proactive approach to navigate this disruption by acquiring specialized skills to meet growing employer demands.
Nair added:
Government initiatives promoting skill development have further amplified this awareness. Through the Upskilling Trends Report 2024-25, we strive to help learners, professionals, and companies with valuable insights, empowering them to strategize effectively for FY25.
About Great Learning
As a prominent international EdTech provider for higher education and professional training, Great Learning is a part of BYJU’s group. The platform offers comprehensive, industry-relevant, hands-on learning programmes across various businesses, technology, and interdisciplinary domains driving the digital economy. These programmes are developed and provided in collaboration with the world’s foremost academic institutions, such as Stanford Graduate School of Business, MIT Professional Education, The University of Texas at Austin, National University of Singapore, Wharton Online, The University of Arizona, Deakin University, IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee, IIIT-Delhi, and Great Lakes Institute of Management.
