Skills | Pandemic sparks 'career lockdown' for young people

The coronavirus pandemic is having a drastic impact on career progression, with a specific toll on younger workers, a new study from technology company Sharp has found.

The study, which polled over 6,000 workers in SMBs across Europe, highlights the massive toll that the coronavirus has taken on workers’ needs and career expectations. Over half of respondents noted that they were anxious about issues such as keeping skills up to date, a lack of training opportunities and their future career prospects.

In fact, the study showed that the current measures in place to manage the spread of the virus have put many on what one leading academic called ‘career lockdown’.

Surprisingly, whilst the majority (61%) of respondents under the age of 30 agreed that working remotely has made it harder for them to stay informed on their company’s direction and prospects and 55% felt cut-off from their teams, 51% noted that remote working has made them more productive and that technology has enabled them to do their job more effectively.