Six out of ten respondents in a recent survey carried out by eJobs.ro and online course platform Skillab intend to change careers or undergo professional retraining within the next year, determined by the rapid pace in which the labor market develops, but also by the employers' demands. 

Only 23% of them say they have a clear professional development plan, while 33% have drawn up a plan they are not fully implementing. The remaining respondents do not have a plan, as 14% of them believe that it is solely the employer's responsibility, 16% think that it would be difficult to follow, and only 5% are not interested in having a career development plan.

"We see a large percentage of employees who are already determined to make a clear move towards professional retraining in the immediate future. They look not only at the fields that are developing but also at the skills that the market demands so as to increase their chances of employment even 5 or 10 years from now," commented Raluca Dumitra, Head of Marketing at eJobs.ro.

Better pay is the main reason why Romanian workers would like to change their profession, mentioned first by 77.4% of respondents. Meanwhile, 43.4% are motivated by better development prospects, 38.5% would like to have a flexible work style, namely to be able to work remotely or hybridly, and almost as many are looking for more stability.

To facilitate their career shifts, 58% of employees expressed interest in taking courses to improve management, communication, and teamwork skills. A similar number (50%) are focused on developing technical skills to remain competitive in the job market. Despite this, only 30% of respondents reported completing any professional development courses in the last year.

The survey also revealed that 65% of respondents believe acquiring new skills is necessary to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving job market. Key skills they expect to need in the future include IT, management data analysis, business, and financial expertise.

Regarding time commitment, 44% of respondents are willing to dedicate 5 hours per week to education for professional development, while 28% are open to 10 hours. Only 9% expressed no interest in allocating time for education aimed at career transition.

The survey also highlighted a gap in corporate support for professional development: 70% of employees stated that their companies do not offer professional training as part of their benefits package. Only 11% receive this benefit, while 6% share the financial responsibility with their employer.

The survey was conducted in October on a sample of 2,081 respondents.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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