Over 9 in 10 professionals in India (91%) face barriers such as feeling burnt out or family responsibilities that are getting in the way of their learning
Chennai, 20 June, 2024: In this era of AI, professionals must develop new skills to advance their careers. However, new research from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, shows they are facing roadblocks in their learning journey. Despite 80% of professionals in India saying that their company is doing enough to cultivate a culture of learning, findings show that over 9 in 10 (94%) are finding it hard to prioritise learning due to work and family commitments.
Top barriers faced include a lack of time due to family responsibilities or other personal commitments (34%), busy work schedules (29%) and feeling overwhelmed by the amount of learning resources available (26%).
Professionals are Loud Learning to overcome barriers to upskilling
‘Loud Learning’ – the act of being vocal and intentional about learning ambitions in the workplace – has emerged as a promising solution to this problem, with around 8 in 10 (81%) professionals in India saying that this practice can help them dedicate time to improve their skills.
The top 3 ways that professionals in India are ‘Loud Learning’ include #1 sharing their learnings with teammates (40%), #2 sharing their learning journey or accomplishments on LinkedIn (40%) and #3 informing their team members of their learning time blocks (35%). Remarkably, 64% of professionals in India are already engaging in ‘Loud Learning’.
Eight in 10 (81%) professionals in India say that seeing their peers engage in ‘Loud Learning’ will motivate them to do the same. To complement their learning experiences, 64% of professionals in India also say that they have a Learning BFF – a friend who supports and learns with them, makes the whole learning experience more fun and effective, while helping them stay accountable to their learning goals.
Professionals are leveraging Loud Learning to grow their careers
LinkedIn research shows that 79% of professionals in India believe that engaging in ‘Loud Learning’ can support their career growth. Some of the benefits include providing opportunities for mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals (28%), opening doors to new career opportunities or advancement (27%) and facilitating knowledge and insights sharing amongst peers (26%).
Nirajita Banerjee, LinkedIn Career Expert & Senior Managing Editor says, “According to LinkedIn data, skills needed for a job in India are expected to change by 64% by 2030, so it is vital for professionals to be super-focused on learning. ‘Loud Learning’ is a great hack that they can use to overcome the challenges faced when it comes to dedicating time to learning. By engaging in ‘Loud Learning’, you not only prioritise your own learning journey but also inspire and encourage others to dedicate time towards developing skills.”
LinkedIn is also introducing new AI powered Premium tools to help professionals accelerate their learning journey. LinkedIn Learning’s new AI-powered coaching can help guide professionals’ course experience by allowing learners to ask for summaries of content or clarifying questions and providing real time insights and takeaways directly from the course pages. Powered by AI, LinkedIn’s expert advice allows learners to interact in an easy to use chat interface with select instructors and instantly receive personalised and actionable advice.
LinkedIn has also unlocked free LinkedIn Learning Courses including AI focused courses such as Building AI Literacy and Advancing Your Skills in Deep Learning and Neural Networks, as well as courses to support career advancement like Beating Procrastination and Project Management Foundations. These courses are available until 8 July 2024.
Here are LinkedIn Career Expert Tips from Nirajita on how professionals can prioritise and commit time towards learning:
- Be vocal and block time for learning: Being vocal and intentional about blocking time for learning can help. Time-blocking your calendar is a simple way for you to commit time and for others to see you doing it. You could start with committing even just 15 mins a day and that can help you stay on track.
- Post updates on your learning journey at work and on LinkedIn: Sharing your learning journey can encourage others. Share about your learning progress and how you overcame barriers with your colleagues and your LinkedIn network. This could help to spark discussions and might just inspire others to also dedicate time towards learning.
- Buddy up with a Learning BFF: A supportive Learning BFF can make the process less daunting, more accountable and enjoyable. Share insights and hold one another to your learning commitments to stay motivated throughout your learning journeys. A Learning BFF can also help to broaden your learning toolkit by introducing you to new tools and resources.
- Leverage AI to supercharge your learning experience: LinkedIn’s new AI-powered coaching features a user-friendly chat interface to guide your course experience. Ask for advice around your learning gaps and get real time insights on courses. Each response will also be personalised to you based on your title, career goals, and the skills you follow on LinkedIn Learning, so be sure to keep these up to date.
- Build your learning community: Engage in discussions on LinkedIn Groups – online communities where like-minded professionals come together to share insights around different topics. You can also contribute to collaborative articles to further exchange diverse perspectives.