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Reskilling has become a major obsession over the past few months, as AI upends traditional work models, and employees look for ways to prepare for the future. A majority of U.S. workers plan to upskill this year, but Gen Z is taking it one step further—they’re more likely than other generations to actually step back into the classroom to better themselves.
About 41% of the Gen Z workforce plans to attend physical classes to learn new skills, a higher percentage than both Gen X and baby boomers, according to LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence survey.
The younger generation’s inclination towards in-person schooling may be fueled by a desire to get the classroom interaction they missed out on during lockdown, according to Dan Brodnitz, global head of content strategy for LinkedIn Learning. “It’s possible many Gen Z professionals may be attracted to in-person learning because they didn’t previously get that full experience during the pandemic,” Brodnitz told Fortune.
He adds that an inclination towards in-person classroom learning is consistent with Gen Z’s work preferences, as they gravitate towards hybrid and in-person schedules more than older coworkers. “They crave in-person interaction, likely because they are new to work and still building their networks,” he says.
Still, a majority of workers from every generation are looking to online courses to improve their skills, learn new ones, and help stay competitive in the job market. Around 59% of Gen Z employees plan to upskill virtually, compared to 65% of millennials and 60% of Gen Xers.
Brodnitz says virtual and IRL instruction are both valid pathways to upskilling, but he suggests doing both. “A combination of online and face-to-face instruction is often the best recipe,” he says. It combines “the ability to learn at your own pace online with the ability to put complex concepts into practice alongside classmates.”
When it comes to upskilling, younger employees in particular have the most to gain; skills-based hiring could increase the talent pool of Gen Z workers by over 10.3 times, more than any other age demographic, according to LinkedIn. And Brodnitz says harnessing marketable abilities is essential—over 50% of hirers using LinkedIn say they use skills data to help pick applicants for open roles.
“We know that skills matter to hiring managers, and it’s something that Gen Z should be paying attention to,” he says. “Gen Zers actually have a lot of in-demand skills that are on hiring managers’ radars.”
Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com
@EmmaBurleigh1
Around the Table
A round-up of the most important HR headlines.
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Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Fortune.
TGIF. Companies are trying to turn around the $1.9 trillion end-of-week productivity slump by introducing “Flow Fridays,” when meetings are scrapped so employees have more time to work. —Charlotte Hampton, Bloomberg
Misunderstandings. The larger the age difference between managers and employees, the less productive they are—and generational frictions may be to blame. —Sydney Lake
New normal. As retirement policies shift to defined contribution or 401(k) plans, Gen Xers are expected to work longer for financial security. —Tiffani Potesta
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