New Research from Kelly Services® Finds Ongoing Training Prepares Workers for Career Advancement and Development

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18, 2018 -- New research from Kelly Services® (Nasdaq:KELYA) (Nasdaq:KELYB), a global leader in providing workforce solutions, reveals the importance of ongoing job skills training for career advancement. A survey of more than 1,600 Southern California workers* placed by Kelly Services in the past year indicates that 63 percent of respondents relied on employer-provided or self-funded training when preparing for career development/advancement within the last year.

“Sixty-two percent of respondents recognize that there are opportunities in the local job market to grow or advance their career; however, their skills and knowledge will need to evolve,” said Genine Wilson, Southern California territory vice president. “The findings reveal an interesting correlation between the number of respondents looking for a job, their challenges in securing a new position and their understanding that additional skills training is required for career advancement.”

Wilson noted that more than seven in ten respondents (73 percent) indicated that their skills or knowledge will need to evolve/grow to keep up with changes in their line of work. In fact, 48 percent are more concerned about their skills or knowledge becoming obsolete or outdated than about a possible layoff.

Additionally, the survey found that three of every four respondents (76 percent) are either currently engaged in a job search or have been in the last year. But 54 percent of respondents have found it difficult to secure work they most desire. The obstacles to finding work vary: 61 percent indicate employers are offering lower-than-desired compensation, followed by the economy (54 percent), missing education or skills required for the job (51 percent), and advances in technology and automation (42 percent).

“Because Southern California workers seem to understand that growing their skill set will help them advance their careers and grow to keep up with changes in their current role, we see 63 percent of them committing the time and resources to better themselves through training,” said Wilson.

* Methodology
The survey was conducted with 1,664 Southern California workers placed by Kelly Services as temporary employees during the past year.

Kelly Services
As a global leader in providing workforce solutions, Kelly Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:KELYA) (Nasdaq:KELYB) and its subsidiaries, offer a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct‑hire basis. Kelly® directly employs nearly 500,000 people around the world in addition to having a role in connecting thousands more with work through its global network of talent suppliers and partners. Revenue in 2016 was $5.3 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, & Twitter.

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