About 77% of Filipino employees can voluntarily get into retraining or upskilling programs for a different job, as required. This is according to the findings of Decoding Global Talent Survey, a study conducted and released in May by JobStreet Philippines.

The number of those willing to undergo upskilling is even higher among blue-collar employees—82%. Meanwhile, preferred learning modes remain traditional—on-the-job training (70% of respondents), self-study (63%), and seminars (56%).

“Job roles are transforming faster than ever and both hirers and candidates must understand the need for upskilling for them to be more competitive and employable, respectively,” said JobStreet Philippines Country Manager Philip Gioca. “Besides, it sustains a culture of learning in the workplace, hence, improving overall productivity and resiliency at the time of crisis.”

Decoding Global Talent Survey also identified higher-risk and lower-risk jobs in terms of resiliency caused by automation. JobStreet advises businesses to build plans for the expansion of skills of their staff especially those involved in areas like customer service, administration and secretariat, service sector, and arts and creative work, which are now at higher risk.

At the same time, employees in lower-risk jobs are advised to still upskill or be trained so they can stay relevant. These jobs include those in management, engineering and technical, science and research, health and medicine, law, IT and technology, social care, and digitalization and automation.

“We can see that automation has become a key factor in the workplace, so it is an advantage to learn digital skills regardless of your job role,” Gioca said.