More than two-thirds, or 69%, of UK workers saying training content is not always exciting or engaging, according to research from City & Guilds Group and Kineo.

This disengagement has not driven them to take learning into their own hands as employees in the UK were amongst the least likely to have invested their personal time in training (43%) and to have looked for e-learning solutions or online advice (46%).

Instead, UK employees are calling on their employers to provide a much more curated and tailored approach to training to better equip them with the skills needed for the future. More engaging (37%), personalised (35%) and better quality (29%) content, as well as shorter, micro-style learning (23%), are cited as the most effective methods, and those they would like to see more of, when it comes to developing new skills and abilities.

The research also finds that despite 80% of UK employees saying their organisation has taken steps to improve their skillset and overall employability over the past year, in many cases this effort hasn’t reached its goal. The study shows 13% of employees would rate the Learning and Development opportunities over the past year as very effective and 21% feel very well equipped to do their job to the best possible standard.

While employers in the UK are ‘fairly confident’ they have the budgets (81%) and resource (82%) to invest in staff training, the research highlights they need to make it far more accessible. Most, or 80%, of UK employees cite some sort of trouble accessing Learning and Development activity in their workplace, with lack of time being the most significant barrier (24%).

John Yates, Group Director, Corporate Learning at City & Guilds Group, commented, “While employers are making concerted efforts to upskill their workforce for the future, it’s concerning that current training may not be hitting the mark. Our findings clearly show that employees in the UK are crying out for new ways to learn and train, that truly cater to their individual interests and career paths.”