In this era of AI, professionals must develop new skills to advance their careers. However, new research from LinkedIn shows they are facing roadblocks in their learning journey. Despite over half (52%) of professionals in Australia saying that their company is doing enough to cultivate a culture of learning, findings show that 9 in 10 (90%) say they face barriers that prevent them from learning new skills. 

Top barriers faced include feeling exhausted and burnt out (39%), a lack of time due to family responsibilities or other personal commitments (37%), lack of motivation or discipline to set aside time (24%) and feeling overwhelmed by the amount of learning resources available (21%). 

Professionals are Loud Learning to overcome barriers to upskilling

‘Loud Learning’ – the act of being vocal and intentional about learning ambitions in the workplace -- has emerged as a promising solution to this problem. Over half (54%) of professionals in Australia say that this practice can help them dedicate time to improve their skills. 

The top three ways that professionals in Australia are ‘Loud Learning’ include #1 informing their team members of their learning time blocks (41%), #2 sharing their learnings with teammates (38%) and #3 sharing their learning journey or accomplishments on LinkedIn (35%). Remarkably, 27% of professionals in Australia are already engaging in ‘Loud Learning’. 

Over half (60%) of professionals in Australia say that seeing their peers engage in ‘Loud Learning’ will motivate them to do the same. To complement their learning experiences, a third (30%) of professionals in Australia also say that they have a Learning BFF, with 41% also interested in getting one. A Learning BFF is a friend who supports and learns with them, makes the whole learning experience more fun and effective, while helping them stay accountable to their learning goals. 

Professionals are leveraging Loud Learning to grow their careers 

LinkedIn research shows that many(49%) of professionals in Australia believe that engaging in ‘Loud Learning’ can support their career growth. Some of the benefits include providing opportunities for mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals (30%),  facilitating knowledge and insights sharing amongst peers (28%)and opening doors to new career opportunities or advancement (27%).

Cayla Dengate, LinkedIn Career Expert, said:,  “According to LinkedIn data, skills needed for a job in Australia are expected to change by 66% by 2030, so it is vital for professionals to be super-focused on learning. ‘Loud Learning’ is a great hack that they can use to overcome the challenges faced when it comes to dedicating time to learning. By engaging in ‘Loud Learning’, you not only prioritise your own learning journey but also inspire and encourage others to dedicate time towards developing skills.” 

LinkedIn is also introducing new AI powered Premium tools to help professionals accelerate their learning journey. LinkedIn Learning’s new AI-powered coaching can help guide professionals’ course experience by allowing learners to ask for summaries of content or clarifying questions and providing real time insights and takeaways directly from the course pages. Powered by AI, LinkedIn’s expert advice allows learners to interact in an easy to use chat interface with select instructors and instantly receive personalised and actionable advice.

LinkedIn has also unlocked free LinkedIn Learning Courses including AI focused courses such as Building AI Literacy and Advancing Your Skills in Deep Learning and Neural Networks, as well as courses to support career advancement like Beating Procrastination and Project Management Foundations. These courses are available until 8 July 2024.

Here are LinkedIn Career Expert Tips from Caylaon how professionals can prioritise and commit time towards learning: 

• Be vocal by blocking out time for learning: Time-blocking your calendar is a simple way to commit to learning a new skill and for others to see you doing it. You could start with committing even just 15 mins a day and that can help you stay on track. 
• Post updates on your learning journey at work and on LinkedIn: Sharing your learning journey can encourage others. Share about your learning progress and how you overcame barriers with your colleagues and your LinkedIn network. This could help to spark discussions and might just inspire others to also dedicate time towards learning. 
• Buddy up with a Learning BFF: A supportive Learning BFF can make the process less daunting and more enjoyable while also holding you to account. Share insights and hold one another to your learning commitments to stay motivated throughout your learning journeys. A Learning BFF can also help to broaden your learning toolkit by introducing you to new tools and resources. 
• Leverage AI to supercharge your learning experience: LinkedIn’s new AI-powered coaching tool features a user-friendly chat interface to guide your course experience. Ask for advice around your learning gaps and get real-time insights on courses. Each response will also be personalised to you based on your title, career goals, and the skills you follow on LinkedIn Learning, so be sure to keep these up to date.
• Build your learning community: Engage in discussions on LinkedIn Groups – online communities where like-minded professionals come together to share insights around different topics. You can also contribute to collaborative articles to further exchange diverse perspectives.

Methodology

Consumer research: This research was conducted by Censuswide, with 1098 professionals in full-time or part-time employment across India between 24 May 2024 to 5 June 2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles. Censuswide are members of the British Polling Council.

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms the way companies hire, learn, market, and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has more than one billion members and has offices around the globe. www.linkedin.com / mobile.linkedin.com.