The COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant influence on the professional scene, causing a paradigm change in public opinion on long-term work. According to a new survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Bayt.com, over two-thirds of workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are willing to retrain and gain new skillsets before taking on new responsibilities.

Decoding Global Reskilling and Career Paths, a study based on the survey, seems to be the third in a series of papers produced by BCG and Bayt.com concerning the pandemic's effects on people's employment preferences and professions, with such an edition giving insights obtained from various nations. The findings are based on responses from 1,185 workforce participants in a variety of occupations in Saudi Arabia, and they reveal prospective employment patterns that may arise in the future.

Because of the economic uncertainty caused by the epidemic, experts from the majority of industries are concerned, at least to some extent, about the future role of technology. Overall, 33% of Saudi employees believe the danger of their jobs being automated has grown in the last year.

Workers over the age of 60, and younger individuals aged 20-40, are particularly conscious of this danger, possibly as a result of increasing knowledge among younger generations and the nature of the employment held by their predecessors. Additionally, individuals in white-collar service, consulting, and administrative professions are particularly concerned about automation, while those in human-centric occupations, such as sales and social care, are the least worried.

“The rapid pace of digital transformation and technological disruption has sparked broad individual discussion.” Many are anxious about job stability in a post-pandemic tech-driven environment, with employees doubting their prospects owing to the continuous rise of automation,” said Dr. Christopher Daniel, managing director, and partner at BCG Middle East.

“It has subsequently resulted in a shift in thinking amongst these working populations, as indicated by nearly seven out of ten respondents believing that retraining would create new and alternative professional avenues.”

66% of Saudi interviewees are eager to retrain for a different employment function, and this increasing trend is similar across degree kinds and age groups. Media and information professionals, social care employees, and those in buying and logistics reported the most desire to retrain, with media and financial firms industries exhibiting the most overall readiness.

In terms of education, 67% of employees indicated they now devote a few weeks at a time to skill-building over the duration of a year, and this applies to workers of all ages and from diverse higher education backgrounds. Law, journalism, consultancy, and creative occupations have the highest degrees of training since the beginning of the continuing epidemic.

Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has made significant progress in terms of training resources. Self-study increased from 50% in 2018 to 60% in 2020, close to the world average of 62% with substantial government programs surpassing 21% last year. Participation in conferences and seminars has decreased from 45% to 31% during the same period, while smartphone app used for training has climbed from 16% to 41%.

“Saudi employees from many verticals are widening their horizons, having reviewed their existing responsibilities over time and determined that their future could lay in a new industry or professional path,” Dr. Daniel stated. “The apparent increase in self-study is a strong indicator of people's resolve to go above and beyond and acquire new employment for coming years. From a professional standpoint, the pandemic's effects on livelihoods cannot be overstated, and a significant number of individuals have suffered over the last year.”

A sizable proportion of the Saudi workforce has been directly affected by the pandemic. In all, 38% of individuals said that current revelations harmed their work position, which is somewhat higher than the world average of 36%.  Others have had their working hours shortened, whilst others are laid off because of the economic downturn.

Those with a lesser level of education have been especially harmed, while those with bachelor's degrees or above have fared better, and workers aged 41-50 have been the most affected. Specific occupational areas, such as journalism and social care, were severely hampered, and the travel and tourist industry suffered greatly. As a result, many people are excited about the prospect of retraining and pursuing new options that bring more professional stability.