Research carried out by Amárach found that while almost half of people reported learning a new skill since the beginning of the year, almost nine out of ten would like to learn one in the near future.
Some of the keys findings of the research included:
• Of those who have recently learned a new skill, 90% said it improved their mental health and made them feel more confident, while 62% said they did it to develop themselves as a person.
• Almost one in four people are only slightly confident they have the skills to advance in their current jobs, and only one in five are very confident they have the skills for the job they want in the next five years.
• Self-development is the main motivation for learning a new skill (62%), followed by interest in the subject (45%), and to improve health and wellbeing (39%).
• Just over half (55%) have made new friends on a course, and a similar number (51%) said it inspired their friends and family to learn new skills. For almost two-fifths (39%), leaning a new skill has enabled them to earn more money.
