More than half of Welsh workers (53%) intend to make changes to their careers in the next 12 months, as a result of the Covid outbreak, an increase of seven percentage points since July 2020 (46%).
The research, conducted as part of Aviva’s latest How We Live report, reveals changes range from the relatively minor, such as learning new skills or gaining further qualifications, to switching career path completely.
The proportion of workers intending to find a completely different vocation has increased from 6% to 8%, while those intending to gain more academic qualifications has more than doubled from 5% to 11%.
Welsh workers have also revealed their altruistic natures, with one in 10 (9%) planning to find a role which helps others in the next 12 months. The same percentage are planning to set up their own businesses.
The desire to work from home in Wales is only marginally lower than the UK average at 9%, compared to 10% across the UK. The desire to work from home is strongest in London, where one in six (16%) workers have this intention.
| Career ambition in next 12 months | Percentage of Welsh workers July 2020 | Percentage of Welsh workers February 2021 |
| I plan to retrain / learn new skills | 11% | 5% |
| I plan to set up my own business / work for myself | 10% | 9% |
| I plan to find a role which helps others / makes a difference to those in need | 8% | 9% |
| I plan to increase my working hours (e.g. part time to full time) | 7% | 4% |
| I plan to follow a completely different career path | 6% | 8% |
| I plan to retire | 6% | 4% |
| I plan to gain more academic qualifications | 5% | 11% |
| I plan to find a role which will allow me to work from home | 5% | 9% |
| I plan to find a new role but with the same organisation | 3% | 5% |
| I plan to reduce my working hours (e.g. full time to part time) | 2% | 7% |
| I plan to find employment after losing my job | 2% | 3% |
| I plan to move companies but stay in the same industry/role | 1% | 5% |
Hobbies into careers
This latest research also suggests there are an increasing number of people who plan to turn hobbies into income streams.
In July 2020, the first How We Live study discovered 4% of Welsh adults planned to turn a hobby into a career, while a further 8% saw their hobby as a way of generating a second income stream.
Both of these intentions have increased during the pandemic: now 9% of Welsh adults say they plan to turn a hobby into a second source of income, while 9% hope that a hobby will become a career.
Gareth Hemming, MD, Personal Lines, Aviva says:
“As the pandemic has continued, an increasing number of people have given thought to what they want from their careers and now more than half of Welsh workers would like to make changes to their working lives. The extent of these changes varies: in some instances people want more flexibility, such as the ability to work from home, while others wish to change their career paths completely.
“For those who plan to become home-workers, it’s always sensible to check that they have suitable cover for their circumstances. Many home insurance policies include cover for office equipment. However, a standard home insurance policy may not be adequate if someone wishes to run a business from their home, particularly if they have stock on site or customers visiting their property. To be absolutely certain, it’s always best for people to check with their insurance provider.”
