According to a new survey released by the Charles Koch Foundation and the SkillUp Coalition, more than half of Americans under 40 believe that they will need to acquire new skills to advance their careers. Fifty-eight percent of Generation Z respondents and just over 50 percent of Millennials said they think they will need additional training for their career goals. Thirty-four percent of all respondents believe they will need to acquire new skills in the future. Of those who are looking to upskill, 84 percent are looking to do so within three years’ time.
According to the findings, Americans believe that one promising pathway is through career and technical education. February 1 marks the beginning of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month and, according to the survey, the majority of Americans view CTE as a promising path for upskilling.
These findings are not surprising given the economic upheaval surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly a year into the crisis, approximately 10 million Americans are still out of work.
