Technology is changing the workplace so fast that the majority of administrative support staff has enrolled in training programs in the last five years, says a new study from Ball State University.

A survey of 539 administrative support staff attending a recent conference hosted by the International Association of Administrative Professionals found that 96 percent had taken additional training to stay current with new information technology programs.

About 70 percent of the respondents also had enrolled in on-site technology training programs while 62 percent reported participating in off-site technology training. Fifty-one percent said they had been enrolled in off-site, non-technology courses.  

Lifelong learning, while not a new concept, is receiving increasing emphasis in today's business climate, said Melody Alexander, a Ball State information systems and operations manager professor who coordinated the survey.

"Organizational cultures are consistently emphasizing lifelong learning in the workplace," she said. "Employers are encouraging continuing education both on- and off-site through corporate universities and educational institutions."

The survey also found:

• Respondents age 50 and younger participated in off-site training more significantly than those people older than 50.
• People in the 40-and-younger age range were more likely to have participated in online training courses than older workers.
• Workers with more than 25 years of work experience were more likely to have attended in-house training than those with less time on the job.

"While employees learn skills for a variety of reasons, the bottom line is that without continuing education, skills become irrelevant and unskilled employees could find themselves being downsized," Alexander said. "Both employers and employees face the challenges of retaining market relevance, learning quickly enough to keep pace with change and remaining current."

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Alexander at malexand@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5239.)