Canadians Say More Training Vital to Remain Competitive in Job Market

TORONTO, Apr 29 (MARKET WIRE) --
Even in the face of economic recession, the importance of training and
skills development has been highlighted by a recent international
workplace survey that shows more than three-quarters of Canadian
respondents believe their current skills will be outdated within five
years.

The survey, by global workforce solutions leader Kelly Services, finds
that more than a third of the respondents believe the training currently
provided by their employers will not meet their future career needs.

The Kelly Global Workforce Index obtained the views of nearly 100,000
people in 34 countries including more than 7,000 in Canada.

Kelly Services VP and Managing Director of Canadian Operations, Karin
French says that in an increasingly competitive global economy, investing
in vital human capital can become a key competitive advantage for
employers. "Training may not be at the forefront in the present economic
climate, but organizations that devote the resources may be more likely to
see higher productivity and profitability in the future," French says.

The survey highlights the significance that employees across the
generational age groups place on training and skills development to
sustain them in a rapidly changing labour market.

Among the key findings of the survey:

-- Baby boomers (aged 48-65) are most worried about the level of training
they receive, with 43 percent saying it is not sufficient to upgrade skills
and advance their career.
-- 82 percent of Gen X (aged 30-47) say that within the next five years
their skills will need to be upgraded to keep pace with changes in the
workplace.
-- 77 percent of Gen Y (aged 18-29) see the provision of training as a
joint responsibility between the employer and employee.
-- Almost half (47 percent) of all respondents believe their HR
departments have not helped them to achieve their employment goals.

Across generations, more men than women are concerned that employers
are not providing adequate training and believe their skills will need to
be updated within the next five years to keep pace with industry
developments.

Among respondents, more than three-quarters (77 percent) say that training
should be a joint responsibility between an employer and employee. The
preference among those surveyed is for on-the-job training (40 percent),
followed by professional development courses (32 percent), self-initiated
learning (19 percent) and formal university or college qualifications (9
percent).

French says the findings reveal the depth of concern across the working
population at their ability to meet new workforce challenges with the
current training offered to them by their employer.

"The current economic environment has made people very aware of their
skills and whether they will be sufficient to survive the recession and
beyond, into a period of economic recovery.

"Increased competition for jobs combined with technological change makes
it vital that employees are assisted to become even more productive,
through the best training possible," French concludes.

About the Kelly Global Workforce Index

The Kelly Global Workforce Index is a survey revealing opinions about work
and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. Results of the current
findings from across Kelly's global operations in North America, Europe,
and the Asia Pacific will be published throughout 2009 in a series of six
releases.

About Kelly Services

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) (NASDAQ: KELYB) is a world leader in
workforce management services and human resources solutions, offering
temporary staffing services, outsourcing, vendor on-site and full-time
placement to clients on a global basis. Kelly provides employment to
nearly 650,000 employees annually, with skills including office services,
accounting, engineering, information technology, law, science, marketing,
creative services, light industrial, education, and health care. Revenue
in 2008 was $5.5 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com

Media Contacts:

Kate Samson
(416) 646-4249
kate.samson@kellyservices.com

Judith Clark
(248) 244-4305
judith_clark@kellyservices.com

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