Some people who found themselves with extra time during the COVID-19 lockdown put it to good use.
Research from digital transformation firm BoxBoat suggests that around one in four people spent time learning coding languages during the lockdown.
The most commonly learned programming language was Python, followed by Java and C++.
The greatest motivations for people setting out to improve their skills were career development (55%), personal development (46%), and improving job search prospects (33%).
YouTube, and other freely available content, was the top source of training material for most (66%) people boosting their skills. However, around one in three turned to paid resources.
Despite their necessity, lockdowns had a devastating impact on global economies. The data shows that one silver lining is that much of their workforces have become more skilled during their downtime.
Around 70 percent of people say their technology skills have “moderately or greatly” improved since the COVID-19 pandemic (Many certainly learnt what Zoom is… with usage of the video chat tool quadrupling between the start of the pandemic and March 2020.)
There is a notable difference between generations who reported an upskilling during their downtime. Millennials reported the most (72%) improvements, closely followed by Generation X (70%). However, just 56 percent of baby boomers reported improving their tech skills.
(Photo by Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash)
