The Canada School of Public Service (the School) has a legislative mandate to provide a range of learning activities to build individual, organizational capacity and management excellence within the public service.

Under the Canada School of Public Service Act, the School, as a departmental corporation, is mandated to:

• encourage pride and excellence in the public service

• foster a common sense of the purposes, values and traditions of the public service

• support the growth and development of public servants

• help ensure that public servants have the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to do their jobs effectively

• assist deputy heads in meeting the learning needs of their organization

• pursue excellence in public management

To effectively deliver on its mandate into the future, the School requires information on the current and upcoming learning, training and developmental needs of federal public service learners. The School is seeking information on these needs as perceived by the learners themselves, as well as managers and executives leading teams. Further, information will be sought on what the needs of public servants are at different stages in their public service career, in designated Employment Equity or minority groups, and in various functional areas and roles.

Providing learning content and opportunities to develop the skills of the public service workforce to meet the current and future needs of Canadians is the School’s number one priority.

The School engaged in a research project that comprises a Government of Canada-wide survey of public servants at all levels, in all regions, and in all types of occupational roles, to inquire about their self-perceived needs with respect to training, learning and development. This survey will provide a comprehensive learning needs assessment. A survey of this nature has not been done before and is required to meet the needs of public servants, as those needs need to be clearly identified.

The results of the research will be used by the School to inform the future allocation of departmental resources; to support our relationships and interactions with functional communities and departments across the Government of Canada; and, to ensure that external learning resources being curated and procured by the School at scale on behalf of the Government of Canada continue to meet the needs of public servants so they can meet the needs of Canadians.

The results of this research will complement the information on learning needs that currently exists within functional communities.

The primary objective of this research was to provide baseline data for the learning needs of the public service and could be conducted again in the future to capture the evolution of the needs of learners, as this data does not currently exist.

Specifically, the survey was used to inquire about public servants’ needs at all levels, in all regions, and in all types of occupational roles, with respect to training, learning and development. The School will use this information to tailor their learning products and opportunities to better align with learners needs and preferred method of learning.

To address the research objectives, an online survey and online focus groups were conducted with public servants at all groups, levels, in any location.

B. Methodology

Quantitative phase

The online survey is comprised of 8,709 public servants from a randomly selected list provided by CSPS, between March 8^th and April 6^th, 2023. The survey was provided in English and French and was distributed to 99,920 randomly selected public servants.

The margin of error for a random survey of 8,709 public servants is plus or minus 1.0 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty (a confidence interval of 95 per cent). The response rate for the survey was 9%.

Nanos provided instructions to the CSPS team on randomly selecting 100,000 records from their database through the use of a randomization formula. Once CSPS made the random selection, the database selection was reviewed by CSPS and then a password protected file was provided to Nanos. The randomization method ensured the database was representative of all departments across the public service. The decision was made to randomly select 100,000 records based on an estimated response rate of 12%.

The survey was also available via an open link on the CSPS website, to collect respondents’ self-perceived training, learning and development needs.

All respondents self-administered the survey online.

Qualitative phase

Nanos conducted 12 online focus groups among 87 public servants, recruited from survey respondents who expressed interest in participating. The groups were conducted between March 27^th and April 14^th, 2023. Ten (10) focus groups were conducted in English and two (2) in French.

Readers should note that focus group research is qualitative and directional in nature and must not be used to estimate the numeric proportion or number of individuals in the population who hold a particular opinion. The focus group research allowed CSPS to gauge the views and gather in-depth insights from public servants, including specific profiles of interest.

The composition of the groups was as follows:

Online, Group 1 – National Capital Region (ENG)

Online, Group 2 – Non-National Capital Region (ENG)

Online, Group 3 – Visible Minority (ENG)

Online, Group 4 – Visible Minority (ENG)

Online, Group 5 – New Public Servants (ENG)

Online, Group 6 – Service Providers (ENG)

Online, Group 7 – Disability (ENG)

Online, Group 8 – Disability (ENG)

Online, Group 9 – Visible Minority (ENG)

Online, Group 10 – Disability (ENG)

Online, Group 11 – National Capital Region (FR)

Online, Group 12 – Non-National Capital Region (FR)

The research was commissioned by CSPS and was conducted by Nanos Research.

This report contains the findings from the probability survey and the focus groups.

C. Contract value

The contract value was $222,587.40 (HST included).

D. Political neutrality statement and contact information

This certification is to be submitted with the final report submitted to the Project Authority.

I hereby certify, as a Representative of Nanos Research, that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Government of Canada’s Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and Directive on the Management of Communications. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, party standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Nik Nanos

Chief Data Scientist and President

Nanos Research

nik@nanos.co

(613) 234-4666 x237

E. Key findings

Quantitative Findings

a. Value Provided

· Overall, a majority of responding public servants who report they have participated in professional learning on various topics said the learning provided value to them, with the highest average value rating being provided to communication skills and leadership (mean of 7.7 each out of 10), where close to three in four each (75%) say it provided them a lot of value (score of 7 to 10 out of 10). This is followed closely by training for functional specialists (mean of 7.5), business skills (mean of 7.4) and Indigenous reconciliation (mean of 7.3).

A comparatively lower intensity of value was given to professional learning on product management, agile and design (mean of 7.1), diversity, equity and inclusion (mean of 7.0) and general knowledge on government operations (mean of 6.9).

b. Level of interest in learning more

· Responding public servants who report they have taken professional learning on various topics indicated they have the most interest in learning more about leadership (mean of 7.8), followed by use of data literacy (mean of 7.6), communication skills and digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 7.5 each). Responding public servants had a lower intensity of interest in taking additional learning on general knowledge on government operations and delegation of authorities (mean of 6.2 each).

c. Applying learning to job/career

· Communication skills top the list when it comes to the type of professional learning that public servants were able to apply the most to their jobs and/or careers (mean of 7.8). This was followed by leadership (mean of 7.5), digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 7.5), collaboration, and training for functional specialists (mean of 7.4 each). Responding public servants indicated they were the able to apply the least from professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion (mean of 6.4) and Indigenous Reconciliation to their job and/or career (mean of 5.6).

d. Level of interest in taking professional learning

· Among those who report they have not taken professional learning on the topic(s), digital technology and working in a digital age received the highest mean interest score (mean of 7.3 of 10), followed by professional learning on communication skills and leadership (mean of 7.0 each), while product management, agile and design received the lowest intensity of interest (mean of 4.5).

e. Value in participating in professional learning

· Over seven in ten public servants (73% with a score of 7-10) who report they have not taken professional learning in the area rated communication skills as something that would be valuable if they were to participate in it (mean of 7.6). This was followed by professional learning on leadership (mean of 7.2), mental health and wellbeing (mean of 6.9) and digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 6.8).

· A lower intensity of perceived value is given to delegation of authorities, Indigenous reconciliation and training for functional specialists (mean of 5.4 each) and product management, agile, design (mean of 4.5) with over a third of responding public servants (36%) who think this would not be valuable to them (score of 0 to 3 out of 10).

f. Obtaining knowledge

· Responding public servants are two times more likely to say much more knowledge is needed to perform at their job (45%) (score of 7-10 out of 10) rather than little or no knowledge needed (22%), and one third say they need a moderate amount of additional knowledge (33%).

· They rank on-the-job learning first (26%) in terms of the most effective learning method for them when it comes to obtaining knowledge, closely followed by online self-paced courses (22%) and in-person classroom learning (15%).

g. Obtaining skills

· Around one in three responding public servants each say there are much more new skills needed for them to perform at their job (38%) (score of 7-10 out of 10) or few to no new skills needed (31%) (score of 0-3 out of 10). Another third say they need a moderate amount of new skills (30%).

· Respondents again ranked on-the-job learning as the most effective learning method when it comes to them obtaining new skills (30%), with 16 per cent each ranking online self paced or in-person classroom learning first.

h. Barriers and factors impacting participation

· A third of public servants rank the relevance of the topic to their work (33%) as the biggest factor that impacts their decision to participate in a particular professional learning activity. This is followed by the workload (21%) and their personal interest in the topic (17%).

· Ahead of all other potential barriers encountered when trying to participate in professional learning activities in the past is a lack of time and operational requirements (63%), followed by courses not being offered (31%), not being available (31%) and being full (31%).

i. Sources for professional learning

· A majority of responding public servants say the Canada School of Public service is one of their main sources of professional learning (85%). One third of respondents selected a college or university (32%) as one of their main sources, followed by online sites (28%), industry associations (12%) and non-profits (10%).

j. Value and interest in learning more by key demographic attributes

· Age

- Across nearly all age groups, communication skills and leadership is a top learning area for value, the exception is those 24 and under who found slightly more value in training on business skills (mean of 8.1) rather than communication skills (mean of 7.5), and those 25-29 who found more value in learning on diversity, equity and inclusion (mean of 7.4), and mental health and wellbeing (mean of 8.0) with a mean of 7.1 for communication skills.

- Leadership is also a top learning area in terms of interest in learning more, as is digital technology (especially for those 55 and older, mean of 7.7) and the use of data literacy. Public servants 24 and under are most interested in learning more about business skills (mean of 8.1) and Indigenous reconciliation (mean of 7.9).

· Gender

- Both men and women place a high value on learning taken on communication skills (mean of 7.7 each), while women placed a slightly higher value on learning on leadership (women: mean of 7.9; men: mean of 7.4).

- Women are also more interested in learning more on leadership (mean of 8.0) and communication skills (mean of 7.6), while men are most interested in learning on digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 7.6) and the use of data and data literacy (mean of 7.9).

· Region

- Both NCR and non-NCR residents place a high overall value on learning taken on leadership (mean of 7.7 each), while non-NCR residents also highly value communication skills (mean of 7.9 overall) and NCR residents rate training for functional specialists as the second most valuable learning area for them on average (mean of 7.4).

- Leadership training was also the learning area with the most interest in learning more for both NCR (mean of 7.7) and non-NCR residents (mean of 7.8), as well as across all provinces excluding NCR residents, with the exception of Newfoundland and Saskatchewan residents who gave higher ratings to other learning areas.

- Residents of Nova Scotia (mean of 8.2), PEI (mean of 7.6) and Saskatchewan (mean of 7.5) rate learning on mental health and wellbeing as a top area of interest for learning more for them, and Newfoundland residents give learning on digital technology and working in a digital age a top score in terms of interest (mean of 8.4).

· Employee Role

- Communication skills is a top valued learning area across all employee roles, with leadership also being highly valued. Executives gave the highest value score to collaboration (mean of 7.9) and communication skills (mean of 7.8), while new public servants most valued communication skills (mean of 8.3) and learning on Indigenous reconciliation (mean of 8.0).

- In terms of their interest in learning more, use of data and data literacy was a top area of interest, as well as leadership for all employee roles. New public servants are also highly interested in learning on product management, agile and design (mean of 7.8), Indigenous reconciliation (mean of 7.9), business skills (mean of 7.8) and collaboration (mean of 7.8).

· Employee Status

- A high value score was given to learning on Indigenous reconciliation for term (mean of 8.1), casual (mean of 8.3) and student employees (mean of 7.9), while term (mean of 8.1) and casual employees (mean of 8.7) also highly valued learning on leadership and student employees valued learning on business skills (mean of 7.9). For indeterminate employees, learning on communication skills (mean of 7.6) and leadership (mean of 7.6) were most valuable to them.

- Regarding their interest in learning more in these areas, indeterminate employees have the highest level of interest in learning on leadership (mean of 7.7) and the use of data and data literacy (mean of 7.6), while term employees are most interesting in learning more about leadership (mean of 8.2) and communication skills (mean of 8.1). Casual and student employees are highly interested in learning more on Indigenous reconciliation (casual: mean of 8.2; student: mean of 8.0), while students also want to learn more on business skills (mean of 7.8) and casual employees want to learn more about mental health and wellbeing (mean of 8.2).

· Tenure

- Employees who have been with the government for less than 5 years place the highest value on learning they took on communication skills (<1 year: mean of 8.2; 1-5 years: mean of 7.9), with those who have worked less than one year also highly valuing learning on Indigenous reconciliation (mean of 8.1) and those with a tenure of 1-5 years highly valuing learning on business skills (mean of 7.7). Learning on leadership was a top valued area for employees across all higher levels of tenure (6-25 plus years), with communication skills also being highly valued.

- Across nearly all tenure levels, employees are most interested in learning more about leadership, as well as the use of data and data literacy. Those who have been with the government for less than a year are also highly interested in more learning on communication skills (mean of 8.1), while those who have been with the government for more than 25 years are most interested in more learning on digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 7.5) and mental health and wellbeing (mean of 7.7).

· Language

- Communication skills and leadership were highly valued learning areas by participants across all language profiles (in terms of their First Official Language and the language they use the most at work). Individuals who report often speaking in a language other than English or French also highly value learning on collaboration (mean of 8.2), and those whose First Official Language is neither English nor French highly value learning on digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 7.9).

- In terms of their interest in learning more, across all language profiles leadership was top rated, as was the use of data and data literacy. Those whose First Official Language is neither English nor French are also highly interested in taking more learning on communication skills (mean of 8.1), as are those who primarily speak French at work (mean of 8.0).

· Disability

- Leadership and communication skills are highly valued by individuals regardless of whether they self-identify as having a disability or not, while those who identify as having a disability also highly valued learning on the use of data and data literacy (mean of 7.6).

- Individuals who self-identify as having a disability are also highly interested in learning more on leadership (mean of 7.9), as are those individuals who do not identify as having a disability (mean of 7.7), and those with a disability are highly interested in learning more on the use of data and data literacy (mean of 8.0).

· Ethnic Community

- There is quite a bit of variance across ethnic communities in terms of the value they received from learning in different areas, with those who identify as Chinese or Black giving the highest level of value to communication skills, with Black identifying individuals also highly valuing learning on leadership. Those who self-identify as South Asian highly value learning on digital technology and working in a digital age and collaboration. Of note, individuals who self-identify as Metis, mixed descent, First Nations, Black and Latin American place a high value on learning on Indigenous reconciliation, while those who identify as Arab gave this a much lower value score (3.9).

- Learning on leadership and business skills are both areas of interest for learning more across most of the ethnic communities, as is Indigenous reconciliation (again given a low score of 3.7 by those who identify as Arab).

· Classification Group

- Value of learning varies by classification group, with indigenous reconciliation, training for functional specialists, leadership, and communication skills being the learning areas most often receiving a top score for the different groups.

- Interest in learning more also varies across the groups, however leadership was given a top score by eight of the 12 classification groups. Learning on Indigenous reconciliation and use of data and data literacy were also rated a top score by multiple classification groups.

· Classification Level

- Learning on leadership was given a top score for value by all classification levels (ranging from 7.6 out of 10 to 8.2), and communication skills was given a top score by nearly all levels.

- Leadership also received top scores for interest in learning more by all classification levels, while use of data and data literacy and communication skills also frequently received top scores for this within each classification level.

· Functional Area

- Indigenous reconciliation, communication skills and training for functional specialists received top value scores from a number of functional areas. Those in the client contact centre gave high mean value scores across all learning areas, ranging from 7.4 for knowledge on government operations to 8.3 for communication skills.

- In terms of interest in learning more, once again communication skills and leadership often receive top scores within each functional area, as did use of data and data literacy, and digital technology and working in a digital age. Again, those in the client contact centre functional area gave high average scores across all learning areas, with the highest mean given to leadership (mean of 8.3).

Please see Appendix B for the data tables by demographic attributes.

Qualitative Findings

a. Opportunities and barriers

· Certification and/or recognition was most likely to motivate participating public servants to participate in more professional learning activities, followed by relevant and more advanced training tailored for their specific role. Time was mentioned as a top barrier for participating in more professional learning activities and supports needed to address this barrier were having allocated time in their schedule for training, support from management, and having courses be available at multiple times/on different days.

· Many participants mentioned that the dissemination of course information and availability was an important support they need to participate in the professional learning activities they are interested in. This dissemination could include clear course descriptions, learning outcomes, and even a learning path to connect multiple courses to desired outcomes.

b. Learning experience

· Aspects of a positive learning experience most often mentioned by participating public servants were a good instructor, the quality of the content and delivery, and applicability of the content. Conversely, participating public servants most often mentioned a bad instructor, poor delivery of the content and not being able to apply the learnings in their job as aspects of a negative learning experience.

c. Methods of learning

· Participating public servants commonly said that acquiring knowledge was best suited for online learning, while learning a new skill was best suited for in-person learning. Many participants mentioned that in-person group learning was their preferred method, while some said they preferred a mix of methods including online self-paced and online in a group setting.

· Benefits of online solo learning included flexibility in scheduling and allowing them to go at their own pace, while drawbacks included a lack of engagement and that it can be harder to focus on the learnings. Online learning in a group setting was thought to be beneficial by offering more opportunities for engagement than solo learning and being accessible both in terms of travel/mobility, as well as availability of supports such as closed captioning. Drawbacks mentioned by participants were similar to those of online solo learning such as limited engagement, as some participants will keep their cameras/microphones off and that it is easy to multitask and tune in and out of the learning activity.

· Benefits of in-person group learning mentioned by participants included networking and making new connections, less distractions, better flow for discussions and even class structure (i.e. regular breaks which can often be neglected when at home), and the ability to learn from your peers or gain different perspectives. Drawbacks of in-person learning in a group setting mentioned by participants were namely cost, approvals for in-person activities often being harder to get, and time management.

About this report

This report begins with an executive summary outlining key findings and conclusions, followed by a detailed analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results. A detailed set of “banner tables” is provided under separate cover; these present results for all survey questions by key segments such as region, age and gender.

The quantitative results are expressed as percentages unless otherwise noted. Base size is the total sample of n=8,709 unless otherwise specified.

Detailed findings are presented in the sections that follow. Overall results are presented in the main portion of the narrative and are typically supported by graphic or tabular presentation of results. Results for the proportion of respondents in the sample who either said “don’t know” or did not provide a response may not be indicated in the graphic representation of the results in all cases, particularly where they are not sizable (e.g., 10% or less). Net results cited in the text may not exactly match individual results shown in the charts due to rounding. Results may not add to 100% due to rounding or multiple responses.

The bullets under the charts also note any significant differences between sub-groups of respondents in different demographic groups and the total average (based on the margin of error of the demographic group with a 95 per cent confidence interval).

Key demographic patterns of interest are described throughout the report, in the following order: age, gender and region.

Details of the methodology and sample characteristics can be found in Appendix A. The final survey instrument can be found in Appendix C.

Detailed Survey findings

A. Learner Personas

Using the results from Question 13, which asked public servants to rank the main reasons they usually participate in professional learning, Nanos developed a number of learner personas, which are outlined below.

Compliant Learner

“My supervisor requested I take the course”

· Give the highest rating of agreement to the statement “I like to set my own pace and schedule for learning” (mean of 8.6) and the lowest to “I like to learn with fixed timelines or deadlines” (mean of 4.7).

· Especially prefer to learn alone (73%; 55% for public servants overall) rather than in a group (20%) and to learn at their own pace (77%; 60% overall) rather than with fixed timelines (17%).

· Unlike public servants as a whole, this group prefers to learn for a specific purpose (55%) rather than continually learn new things (41%) and to dig deep into specific topics (50%) rather than a variety of different topics (43%).

· Significantly more likely to rank fulfilling a job requirement as the most important potential outcome of professional learning (42%; 18% of public servants overall).

· In terms of specific training, they are less likely to report having taken training across nearly all areas compared to public servants generally, and most likely to report taking training on diversity, equity and inclusion (82%) and mental health (59%).

· With the exception of government operations, they are generally less likely to find the training they did to be valuable, as well as to be interested in learning more or feeling they could apply a lot of the professional learning to their job or career. For professional learning they haven’t taken, they are also less interested than public servants overall to take the professional learning or to perceive it as valuable (with the exception of mental health).

· These individuals are more likely to prefer on the job learning for obtaining new knowledge (42% ranked this first, compared with 26% for public servants overall).

· In terms of potential factors that would most impact them participating in professional learning, they are more likely to rank the relevance of the topic first than public servants overall (23%; 33% of all public servants) and are more likely to say obtaining a certification is a top factor (15%; 3% of public servants overall).

· They are more likely to say they experienced not knowing where to find training (41% vs 25% overall) or the course not being available (43% vs 31% overall) and less likely to say they encountered the barrier of the course not being offered (16% vs 31% overall), a lack of local or remote options (13% vs 26% overall) or a lack of funding (11% vs 25% overall).

· Less likely to say CSPS is a main source of learning for them (76% vs 85% overall), a college/university (16% vs 32%) or online sources (13% vs 28%) and are more likely to be unsure (18% vs 5%).

· They reported spending fewer hours on professional learning in the last year (mean of 45 vs 62 overall), in the last five years (mean of 87 vs 132 overall) and estimate they will spend fewer in the next year (mean of 54 vs 63 overall) compared to public servants overall.

Career Changers

“To prepare for a career change”

· Give the highest importance rating to continually learning new things (mean of 8.7) and the lowest to working in a group setting (mean of 6.1), which is different than public servants overall who gave the lowest rating to learning with fixed deadlines and timelines.

· In terms of a preference to continually learn new things versus learning for a specific purpose this group is more divided compared to other groups where there is a clear preference.

· Much more likely than public servants overall to rank career advancement first as an important potential outcome of professional learning (51%; 13% overall).

· Overall, less likely to report having taken training in all professional learning areas, and most often report having taken training on diversity, equity and inclusion (66%) and general knowledge on government operations (58%).

· More likely to be interested in learning more about professional learning for delegation of authorities (mean of 7.6 vs 6.2 overall), and are more likely to be interested in participating in professional learning on digital technology (mean of 8.3 vs 7.3 overall), product management (mean of 5.5 vs 4.5 overall), delegation of authorities (mean of 6.1 vs 5.2 overall) and training for functional specialists (mean of 6.4 vs 5.2) compared to public servants overall.

· Perceived value of professional learning they haven’t taken is higher compared to public servants overall for product management (mean of 5.5 vs 4.5 overall), general knowledge on government operations (mean of 7.2 vs 6.2 overall), delegation of authorities (mean of 6.3 vs 5.4 overall) and training for functional specialists (mean of 6.7 vs 5.4 overall).

· Felt training on product management was less valuable (mean of 6.2) compared to public servants generally (mean of 7.1) and also felt they could apply less of it to their job (mean of 5.8 vs 6.8 overall).

· Less likely to name CSPS as a main source of their professional learning (75% vs 85% overall), and report spending more hours in the past year on professional learning (mean of 73 vs 62 overall) and anticipate spending more compared public servants as a whole (mean of 72 vs 63 overall).

Knowledge and Skill Seekers

“To acquire new knowledge, skills, and/or mindsets”

· Give a high intensity of importance to learning new things (mean of 9.0) and are more likely to prefer to continuously learn new things (72%; 60% of public servants overall) rather than for a specific purpose (25%).

· More likely to rank learning new skills or competencies first in terms of the importance of various outcomes of professional learning (46% vs 27% of public servants overall) and less likely to rank fulfilling a requirement for their job first (4% vs 19% of public servants overall).

· Reported learning they have taken is consistent with public servants in general, but they were slightly more likely to say they could apply a lot of the professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation to their job (mean of 6.4) than public servants overall (mean of 5.6).

· On average they report having spent more hours participating in professional learning in the past year compared to public servants overall (mean of 73 vs 62 overall), as well as in the last five years (mean of 164 vs 132 overall) but anticipate spending fewer hours in the next year (mean of 67).

Generally Interested Learners

“General interest”

· Also gives the highest intensity of agreement to being continually interested in learning new things (mean of 8.5) and the lowest to wanting to learn with fixed timelines and deadlines (mean of 8.5).

· Most likely to prefer learning new things continuously (73%), but are more likely to prefer this than public servants overall (60%) and are more likely to prefer to read and learn about a variety of topics (63% vs 50% of public servants overall).

· More often rank general knowledge first in terms of the importance of outcomes of professional learning (34% vs 5% of public servants overall) and are less likely to rank concrete takeaways first (14% vs 26% of public servants overall) or to fulfill requirements for a job (4% vs 19% of public servants overall).

· Less likely to rank relevance to work first in terms of factors that most impact them taking professional learning (17% vs 33% of public servants overall) or their workload (12% vs 21% of public servants overall) and are more likely to rank personal interest in the topic first (38% vs 17% of public servants overall).

· Regarding barriers they have encountered, they are less likely to say they have encountered a lack of time or operational requirements (54%) than public servants overall (63%).

· On average they report having spent fewer hours participating in professional learning in the past five years compared to public servants overall (mean of 114 hours vs 132 hours overall).

Pursuers of Professional Development

“To pursue my professional development”

· In line with views of public servants overall, this group gives the highest importance score to being continually interested in learning new things (mean of 8.9) and the lowest to learning with fixed timelines or deadlines (mean of 6.3). Their views are also consistent in terms of their various learning preferences.

· Regarding the importance of potential outcomes of professional learning, these individuals are more likely to rank career advancement first (23%) than public servants overall (13%) and are less likely to rank fulfilling a job requirement first (6%; 18% of public servants overall).

Mandatory Learners

“To complete mandatory training”

· Divided by a preference to continually learn new things (48%) compared to a preference to learn for a specific purpose (46%) and were more likely to prefer learning alone (60%) rather than in a group (46%), which is consistent with public servants overall.

· In terms of the importance of potential outcomes of professional learning, these individuals are less likely to rank obtaining new skills and competencies first (14% vs 27% of public servants overall) and are more likely to rank fulfilling job requirement first (46% vs 19% of public servants overall).

· Report having spent fewer hours in the last five years participating in professional learning (mean of 113 hours versus 132 hours by public servants overall).

B. Type of learner

Public servants are most likely to agree with the statement that they are continually interested in learning new things, with nine in ten in agreement, followed by the statement that they like to read and learn new things on a variety of topics and to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics.

Agreement with Statements About Learning

Statement	Agree (7-10)	Neither agree nor disagree (4-6)	Disagree (0-3)	Unsure
I am continually interested in learning new things	90%	8%	1%	1%
I like to read and learn about things on a variety of new topics	83%	15%	2%	1%
I like to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics	79%	17%	3%	1%
I prefer to learn things for a specific purpose	74%	22%	4%	<1%
I like to set my own pace and schedule for learning	74%	21%	4%	1%
I like to learn by myself	65%	29%	6%	1%
I like to learn in a group setting	47%	38%	15%	1%
I like to learn with fixed timelines or deadlines	43%	39%	17%	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8709.

Q– Please rate the following statements in terms of your level of agreement on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is completely disagree and 10 is completely agree [RANDOMIZE]

Learning preferences

Six in ten responding public servants (60%) say they are continually interested in learning new things compared to just over one in three that say they prefer to learn things for a specific purpose (35%). One in two public servants say they like to read and learn about things on a variety of new topics (50%) while under four in ten (39%) say they like to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics.

A majority of responding public servants (60%) say they prefer to set their own pace and schedule for learning, rather than to learn with fixed timelines or deadlines (33%), and they are more likely to say they prefer to learn by themselves (55%) rather than in a group setting (31%).

Learning Preferences

Q - Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE]	Total (n=8712)
I am continually interested in learning new things	60%
I prefer to learn things for a specific purpose	35%
Unsure	5%
Q - Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE]	Total (n=8709)
I like to learn in a group setting	31%
I like to learn by myself	55%
Unsure	13%
Q - Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE]	Total (n=8665)
I like to learn with fixed timelines or deadlines	33%
I like to set my own pace and schedule for learning	60%
Unsure	7%
Q - Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE]	Total (n=8662)
I like to read and learn about things on a variety of new topics	50%
I like to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics	39%
Unsure	11%

Base: All respondents, n=8712

Age

· Public servants 25 to 39 years of age (67% each age cohort) are more likely to say they are continually interested in learning new things than responding public servants overall (60%), while those 45 to 49 are less likely to say this (53%).

· Individuals in the 55 to 59 age cohort are less likely to prefer to learn by themselves (48%) versus in a group setting compared to responding public servants overall (55%), while public servants 25 to 29 are more likely to say they would prefer to learn by themselves (65%).

· Public servants 60 years (68%) are more likely to say they like to set their own pace and schedule for learning rather than to learn on a fixed schedule than responding public servants overall (60%).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Reasons for participating in professional learning activities

When asked to rank some of the potential reasons why they usually participate in a professional learning activity, public servants most often ranked acquiring knowledge, skills, and/or mindsets (30%) as well as pursuing their professional development (30%) as the most important, closely followed by completing mandatory training (28%).

Ranking Reasons for Participating in Learning Activities

Potential Reasons	Rank 1 (n=8728)	Rank 2 (n=8692)	Rank 3 (n=8540)
To acquire new knowledge, skills, and/or mindsets	30%	31%	21%
To pursue my professional development	30%	35%	18%
To complete mandatory training	28%	13%	22%
My supervisor requested I take the course	6%	9%	8%
General interest	4%	7%	20%
To prepare for a career change	2%	5%	11%
Other	<1%	<1%	1%
Unsure	<1%	-	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8728.

Q – Thinking of the following potential reasons why you usually participate in a professional learning activity, please rank the top three most important reasons for you, where 1 is “the most important reason,” 2 is “the second most important reason,” and 3 is “the third most important reason”. [RANDOMIZE]

Age

· Individuals in the 25 to 29 (40%) age cohort are more likely to rank pursuing their professional development first than public servants overall (30%), while those 60 and over are less likely to rank this first (16%). The 25 to 29 age cohort are less likely to rank completing mandatory training first (19%; 28% of public servants overall).

· Public servants 60 and older are more likely to rank acquiring new knowledge skills or mindsets first (40%) than the overall average (30%).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Potential outcomes from professional learning activities

In terms of potential outcomes they are looking to achieve from a professional learning activity, close to three in ten public servants each rank concrete takeaways they can apply to their work (26%) and learning new skills and competencies (27%) first, followed by to fulfill a requirement for my job (19%).

Ranking Potential Outcomes Sought in Learning Activities

Potential Outcome	Rank 1 (n=8728)	Rank 2 (n=8675)	Rank 3 (n=8563)
Concrete takeaways I can apply to my work	26%	28%	19%
Learn new skills and competencies	27%	28%	21%
Fulfill a requirement for my job	19%	8%	14%
Advance in my career	13%	12%	17%
Obtain resources and information for more in depth learning on a subject	10%	15%	16%
General knowledge on the subject	5%	8%	13%
Other	<1%	<1%	<1%
Unsure	<1%	<1%	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8728.

Q - Thinking of the following potential outcomes you are looking to achieve from a professional learning activity, please rank the top three most important outcomes for you, where 1 is the most important outcome you are looking to achieve, 2 is the second most important outcome and 3 is the third most important outcome. [RANDOMIZE]

Age

· There is a higher than average proportion of public servants in the 25 to 29 age cohort who rank advancing in my career first (24%; 13% of public servants overall) and a lower proportion of those 60 plus who rank this first (6%).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

C. Areas of professional learning and perceived value

Taking professional learning

Public servants are most likely to report they have taken professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion, with over four in five that report they have done so (81%). Just over one in five report they have taken professional learning on product management, agile, design (14%).

Taking Professional Learning

Professional Learning Area	Taken	Not taken	Unsure
Diversity, equity and inclusion (such as, but not limited to harassment and violence prevention, 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion, accessibility, systemic racism and discrimination)	81%	15%	4%
General knowledge on government operations (such as, but not limited to orientation to the public service, machinery of government, values and ethics)	71%	22%	7%
Mental health and wellbeing (such as, but not limited to resilience, work-life balance, psychological safety)	63%	31%	6%
Indigenous reconciliation (such as, but not limited to cultural competency, historical events, impacts of colonialism, Indigenous languages)	54%	40%	6%
Communication skills (such as, but not limited to effective oral and written communications, briefings, presentations, storytelling)	47%	45%	8%
Leadership (such as, but not limited to human-centered leadership, coaching, emotional intelligence, team building)	42%	51%	7%
Training for functional specialists (such as, but not limited to comptrollership, human resources, service delivery, security, information technology, and information management)	40%	50%	11%
Delegation of authorities (such as, but not limited to financial and human resources delegation)	35%	58%	7%
Digital technology and working in a digital age (such as, but not limited to cloud, cybersecurity, digital government, digital skills development)	29%	62%	10%
Business Skills (such as, but not limited to process and project management, risk management, negotiation, business analysis)	29%	62%	9%
Collaboration (such as, but not limited to facilitation, co-development, building relationships, stakeholder management)	24%	65%	11%
Use of data and data literacy (such as, but not limited to data analysis, data ethics, artificial intelligence)	23%	68%	9%
Product management, agile, design (products, processes and services)	14%	77%	9%

Base: All respondents, n=8697.

Q – Have you taken or not taken any professional learning related to the following area?

Age

· Public servants over 60 years old are more likely to report having taken professional learning on communication skills (56%; 47% of public servants overall).

· A lower than average proportion of public servants under 24 years old report having taken training on Indigenous reconciliation (36%; 54% of public servants overall) or diversity, equity and inclusion (65%; 81% of public servants overall).

· Public servants between 55 and 59 years old are the most likely to report they have taken professional learning on leadership (52%; 42% of public servants overall).

· There is a lower than average proportion of public servants under 24 (12%), 25 to 29 (9%)and 30 to 34 (20%) who report having taken professional learning on delegation of authorities (35% of public servants overall).

Gender

· Women are more likely to report having taken professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation (58%) than men (49%).

Region

· Individuals in the NCR are more likely than those outside the NCR to report they have taken professional learning in a number of areas, including the use of data and data literacy (NCR: 27%; non-NCR: 19%), general knowledge of government operations (NCR: 75%; non-NCR: 67%), delegation of authorities (NCR: 40%; non-NCR: 32%), training for functional specialists (NCR: 48%; non-NCR: 33%), leadership (NCR: 47%: non-NCR: 39%), and business skills (NCR: 35%; non-NCR: 25%).

Overall value provided

Professional learning on leadership (mean of 7.7) and communication skills (mean of 7.7) are most often rated by public servants as providing a lot of value to them, while diversity, equity and inclusion (mean of 7.0), and general knowledge on government operations are rated comparatively lower (mean of 6.9 each).

Value Provided by Professional Learning Taken

Professional Learning Area	Mean	Great deal of value (7-10)	Moderate value (4-6)	Little to no value (0-3)	Unsure
Leadership	7.7	75%	21%	4%	<1%
Communication skills	7.7	75%	20%	6%	<1%
Training for functional specialists	7.5	72%	23%	4%	1%
Collaboration	7.4	71%	24%	5%	<1%
Business Skills	7.4	70%	25%	5%	<1%
Indigenous reconciliation	7.3	70%	20%	10%	<1%
Mental health and wellbeing	7.3	69%	22%	9%	<1%
Delegation of authorities	7.3	66%	27%	6%	<1%
Digital technology and working in a digital age	7.2	66%	25%	9%	<1%
Use of data and data literacy	7.2	62%	31%	7%	<1%
Product management, agile, design	7.1	63%	29%	7%	<1%
Diversity, equity and inclusion	7.0	63%	27%	11%	<1%
General knowledge on government operations	6.9	61%	30%	9%	1%

Base: All respondents, n=6914.

Q – [IF TAKEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is no value at all and 10 is a great deal of value, how much value did the professional learning on [LEARNING AREA] provide to you?

Age

· Public servants in the 25 to 29 age cohort who report taking the professional learning give a lower average value score to the learning they took on digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 6.0 out of 10; mean of 7.2 for public servants overall) and on leadership (mean 6.7 out of 10; mean of 7.7 for public servants overall).

Gender

· Women are slightly more likely to say the professional learning they report taking on diversity, equity and inclusion provided value to them (mean of 7.3 out of 10) compared to men (mean of 6.4). The same observation can be made for professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation (women: mean 7.5; men: 6.9).

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Overall interest in learning more

Public servants showed the most interest in learning a lot more about leadership (75%, mean of 7.8) followed by use of data literacy (72%, mean of 7.6) and communication skills (71%, mean of 7.5). General knowledge on government operations (50%, mean of 6.2) and delegation of authorities (52%, mean of 6.2) received a lower intensity of interest.

Interest in Learning More in Professional Learning Areas

Professional Learning Area	Mean	Interested in learning a lot more (7-10)	Moderately interested (4-6)	Not interested in learning more (0-3)	Unsure
Leadership	7.8	75%	20%	5%	<1%
Use of data and data literacy	7.6	72%	22%	6%	<1%
Communication skills	7.5	71%	23%	6%	<1%
Digital technology and working in a digital age	7.5	70%	24%	6%	<1%
Business Skills	7.4	69%	24%	7%	<1%
Mental health and wellbeing	7.3	69%	22%	9%	<1%
Training for functional specialists	7.3	67%	25%	7%	1%
Collaboration	7.2	65%	28%	7%	<1%
Indigenous reconciliation	7.1	67%	19%	13%	<1%
Product management, agile, design	7.1	63%	29%	8%	<1%
Diversity, equity and inclusion	6.4	55%	29%	16%	<1%
Delegation of authorities	6.2	52%	32%	16%	<1%
General knowledge on government operations	6.2	50%	34%	15%	<1%

Base: All respondents, n=6915.

Q – [IF TAKEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not interested in learning more and 10 is interested in learning a lot more, to what extent would you be interested in learning more about [LEARNING AREA]?

Age

· Public servants aged 25 to 29 who report taking professional learning on communications skills are less likely to be interested in learning more on the topic (mean of 6.7 out of 10; mean of 7.5 for public servants overall).

· Public servants in the 40 to 44 (mean of 8.0) and 50 to 54 (mean of 8.2) age cohorts who report taking professional learning on use of data and data literacy are more likely to be interested in learning more about it than those 35 to 39 (mean of 6.9) and 60 plus (mean of 7.0).

· Younger public servants (25 to 29) who report taking professional learning on government operations are less likely on average to be interested in learning more (mean of 5.4; mean of 6.2 for public servants overall). Individuals in the same age cohort who report taking professional learning on leadership are also less likely to be interested in learning more on the topic (mean of 6.9) compared to public servants overall (mean of 7.8).

Gender

· Women who report taking professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation are slightly more interested in learning more about it (mean of 7.4) compared to men (mean of 6.7). The same can be observed for diversity, equity and inclusion (women: 6.8; men: 5.9).

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Overall ability to apply skills

Three in four public servants (77%) were able to apply a great deal of communication skills to their job and/or career and gave it the highest rating (mean of 7.8) while professional learning on Indigenous Reconciliation received a comparatively lower intensity of applicability (mean of 5.6).

Ability to Apply Professional Learning

Professional Learning Area	Mean	Could apply a great deal (7-10)	Could apply a moderate amount (4-6)	Could apply little to nothing (0-3)	Unsure
Communication skills	7.8	77%	17%	6%	1%
Leadership	7.5	71%	23%	5%	1%
Digital technology and working in a digital age	7.5	64%	27%	9%	1%
Collaboration	7.4	71%	22%	6%	1%
Training for functional specialists	7.4	68%	25%	6%	1%
Delegation of authorities	7.3	66%	24%	9%	1%
Business Skills	7.2	67%	25%	8%	1%
Mental health and wellbeing	6.9	62%	26%	11%	1%
Product management, agile, design	6.8	59%	30%	10%	1%
Use of data and data literacy	6.7	55%	33%	11%	1%
General knowledge on government operations	6.6	55%	32%	12%	1%
Diversity, equity and inclusion	6.4	54%	29%	16%	2%
Indigenous reconciliation	5.6	45%	27%	26%	2%

Base: All respondents, n=6892.

Age

· Those in the 45 to 49 age cohort were less likely to say they could apply a lot from professional learning on digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 6.6 out of 10) and those in the 50 to 54 age cohort were more likely to say they could apply a lot (mean of 8.3) compared to public servants overall (mean of 7.5).

· Those 25 to 29 were less likely to say they were able to apply a lot of the professional learning they did on leadership (mean of 6.5) compared to public servants overall (mean of 7.5).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Overall interest in taking professional learning of those who have not taken it

Public servants who report they have not taken professional learning in these areas show the most interest in taking professional learning on digital technology and working in a digital age (mean of 7.3) and leadership (mean of 7.0), while product management, agile, design received a lower intensity of interest (mean of 4.5).

Interest in Taking Professional Learning

Professional Learning Area	Mean	Very interested (7-10)	Moderate interest (4-6)	Not interested (0-3)	Unsure
Digital technology and working in a digital age	7.3	53%	32%	15%	1%
Communication skills	7.0	64%	25%	10%	<1%
Leadership	7.0	61%	27%	11%	1%
Mental health and wellbeing	6.7	58%	26%	15%	1%
Collaboration	6.2	50%	33%	17%	1%
Business Skills	6.1	49%	29%	21%	1%
Use of data and data literacy	6.0	49%	29%	21%	1%
General knowledge on government operations	6.0	47%	29%	23%	1%
Indigenous reconciliation	5.7	43%	30%	26%	1%
Diversity, equity and inclusion	5.5	44%	26%	29%	1%
Delegation of authorities	5.2	36%	31%	29%	3%
Training for functional specialists	5.2	36%	33%	30%	2%
Product management, agile, design	4.5	28%	33%	37%	3%

Base: All respondents, n=6579.

Q – [IF NOT TAKEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not interested at all and 10 is very interested, how much interest would you have in taking professional learning on [LEARNING AREA]?

Age

· There is a higher than average proportion of individuals in the 25 to 29 age cohort who are interested in taking professional learning on the use of data and data literacy (mean of 7.6 out of 10; mean of 6.0 for public servants overall).

· Interest in taking professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion for those who haven’t already is higher among individuals in the 25 to 29 (mean of 6.1) and 30 to 34 (mean of 6.2) age cohorts than for individuals 35 to 39 (mean of 4.3).

· Public servants in the 50 to 54 (mean of 4.9) and 60 plus (mean of 4.9) age cohorts are less interested in taking professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation than those 30 to 34 (mean of 6.0) or 35 to 39 (mean of 6.3).

· There is a lower than average proportion of individuals in the 55 to 59 age cohort who are interested in taking training for functional specialists (mean of 4.1 out of 10; mean of 5.2 for public servants overall).

· Public servants in the 60 plus age cohort are less interested in taking professional learning on leadership (mean of 5.8; mean of 7.0 for public servants overall). They are also less interested in taking professional learning business skills (mean of 5.2; mean of 6.1 overall) and less interested in learning on collaboration (mean of 5.4; mean of 6.2 overall).

· Public servants aged 25 to 29 show the most interest (mean of 7.7) in taking professional learning on mental health and wellbeing compared to all other age groups (mean of 6.7 for public servants overall), notably those 35 to 39 (mean of 5.8).

Gender

· Women are more likely to be interested in taking professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion if they haven’t already (mean of 5.9) compared to men (mean of 4.9), and the same observation can be made for professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation (women: mean of 6.2; men: mean of 5.0).

Region

· Public servants in the NCR show less interest in taking professional learning on the delegation of authorities (mean of 4.7; mean of 5.5 for those outside the NCR).

· Public servants from the rest of Canada were more likely to say they are interested (mean of 6.2) in taking professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion compared to those in the NCR (mean of 4.4). They are also more likely to be interested in professional learning on government operations (mean of 6.6; mean of 4.9 for those in the NCR).

· Public servants in the rest of Canada show more interest (mean of 5.5) compared to those in the NCR (mean of 4.6) in taking training for functional specialists.

· Individuals from the rest of Canada that have not taken professional learning on mental health and well being were more likely to show interest in it (mean of 7.2) compared to those in the NCR (mean of 5.9).

Overall perceived value of participating in professional learning from those who have not taken it

In terms of the perceived value of professional learning, public servants who report they have not taken professional learning in these areas give the highest intensity of perceived value to learning on communication skills (73%, mean of 7.6), followed by leadership (64%, mean of 7.2). Product management, agile and design received the lowest intensity of perceived value (27%, mean of 4.5).

Perceived Value of Professional Learning

Professional Learning Area	Mean	Very valuable (7-10)	Moderate value (4-6)	Not valuable (0-3)	Unsure
Communication skills	7.6	73%	20%	7%	1%
Leadership	7.2	64%	24%	10%	1%
Mental health and wellbeing	6.9	61%	25%	14%	1%
Digital technology and working in a digital age	6.8	57%	29%	12%	2%
Collaboration	6.5	55%	29%	14%	2%
General knowledge on government operations	6.2	51%	28%	20%	2%
Business Skills	6.2	49%	29%	20%	2%
Use of data and data literacy	6.1	48%	29%	20%	3%
Diversity, equity and inclusion	5.9	46%	31%	22%	2%
Delegation of authorities	5.4	40%	29%	27%	4%
Indigenous reconciliation	5.4	40%	29%	29%	2%
Training for functional specialists	5.4	37%	32%	27%	4%
Product management, agile, design	4.5	27%	33%	36%	5%

Base: All respondents, n=6577.

Q – [IF NOT TAKEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not valuable at all and 10 is very valuable, how valuable do you think it would be for you to participate in professional learning on [LEARNING AREA] for your role and/or career?

Age

· Individuals in the 60 plus age cohort are less likely to think professional learning on communication skills would be valuable to their role and/or career (mean of 6.6) compared to public servants overall (mean of 7.6). They are also less likely to think learning on collaboration would be valuable (mean of 5.7; mean of 6.5 overall).

· In addition, those in the 60 plus age cohort are less likely to think professional learning on leadership would be valuable to their role and/or career (mean of 5.9) than public servants as a whole (mean of 7.2) and are also less likely to view learning on business skills as valuable (mean of 5.2; mean of 6.2 for public servants overall).

· Perceived value of professional learning on data and data literacy is stronger among those in the 25 to 29 age cohort (mean of 7.7) compared to public servants overall (mean of 6.1).

· In terms of professional learning on Indigenous reconciliation, individuals 60 years and older (mean of 4.7), 50 to 54 (mean of 4.7) and 25 to 29 (mean of 4.7) are less likely to perceive this learning as valuable for their role and/or career than those 35 to 39 (mean of 5.9) or 55 to 59 (mean of 5.7).

· Public servants ages 30 to 34 who have not taken professional learning on government operations are more likely to perceive this as valuable (mean of 7.2) compared to public servants overall (mean of 6.2), while those 55 to 59 are less likely to perceive it as valuable (mean of 4.8).

· Older public servants are less likely to think professional learning on delegation of authorities would be valuable (55-59: mean of 4.2; 60 plus: mean of 4.4) than public servants on average (mean of 5.4).

· Perceived value of professional learning on mental health and wellbeing is strongest among those in the 25 to 29 age cohort (mean of 7.9) and lowest among those 60 plus (mean of 5.9).

Gender

· Women are more likely to perceive potential value in taking professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion for their role and/or career (mean of 6.4) compared to men (mean of 5.2), as well as learning on Indigenous reconciliation (women: mean of 5.9; men: mean of 4.8).

Region

· Public servants outside the NCR are more likely to think professional learning on diversity, equity and inclusion would be valuable for their role and/or career (mean of 6.3) than those within the NCR (mean of 5.3).

· Those outside the NCR were also more likely to say participating in professional learning on general knowledge on government operations would be valuable (mean of 6.8; NCR: mean of 5.2), as well as learning on delegation of authorities (outside NCR: mean of 5.7; in NCR: mean of 5.0) and training for functional specialists (outside NCR: mean of 5.7; in NCR: mean of 4.9).

· Individuals outside the NCR were also more likely to think that it would be valuable to their role and/or career to take professional learning on mental health and well being (mean of 7.4) compared to those in the NCR (mean of 6.3).

D. Identify gaps and barriers

Gaps and barriers for knowledge

When it comes to their ability to perform at their job, public servants are two times more likely to say they need more knowledge (45%) rather than little new knowledge (22%) with a mean of 6.6. When asked what areas of knowledge they are most interested in learning more about, most mentioned was management (finances, projects, HR) (28%), followed by data analysis (14%), any knowledge for their job or interests (12%) and legislation (11%).

Knowledge Required to Perform at Their Job

Amount of Knowledge Required	Total (n=8692)
Mean	6.6
Little to no new knowledge needed (0-3)	22%
Moderate amount of knowledge needed (4-6)	33%
Much more knowledge needed (7-10)	45%
Unsure	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8692.

Q93 – On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is no new knowledge is needed at all and 10 is much more knowledge is needed, how would you rate your current level of KNOWLEDGE (understanding concepts and factual information) in terms of your ability to perform at your job?

Age

· No significant differences by age are observed.

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Areas of Interest for Additional Knowledge

Areas of Interest for Knowledge	Total (n=1301)*
Management (finances, projects, HR)	28%
Data analysis	14%
I'm new/ any knowledge for my job/interests	12%
Legislation/law/procedures	11%
Communication/language	7%
Using tools like excel, MS365, and other software	7%
System processes, budgets, accounts	7%
Understanding government and departments	6%
Policy development/program evaluation	3%
Indigenous/reconciliation	3%
Mental health	2%
Diversity and inclusion	1%
Performance metrics	1%
Time management/Time required to complete training	<1%

Base: Partial dataset, n=1301, run using Machine Learning Analysis. Please Appendix A for a description of the process.

Q94 – What areas of knowledge are you interested in learning more about? [OPEN]

Effective learning method to obtain knowledge

In terms of the most effective learning methods when it comes to obtaining knowledge, one in four participants ranked on-the-job learning first (26%) followed by online self-paced courses (22%). At the bottom of the ranking was immersive learning (2%) and audio learning 2%).

Ranking Preferred Learning Methods for Obtaining Knowledge

Type of Learning Method	Rank 1	Rank 2	Rank 3
On-the-job learning (including job shadowing, coaching and mentoring opportunities)	26%	17%	15%
Online self-paced courses (e-Learning)	22%	14%	14%
In-person classroom learning (instructor-led, can include multiple sessions)	15%	13%	11%
Virtual classroom learning (instructor-led, can include multiple sessions)	12%	16%	13%
Hands-on workshops	10%	14%	13%
Conferences and Events (either in person, hybrid or virtual)	5%	10%	12%
Microlearning (e.g. short videos, job aids, articles, blog posts)	3%	6%	9%
Community meetups and peer to peer learning (in-person or virtual through community space)	3%	5%	5%
Immersive learning (e.g. gaming, virtual reality)	2%	3%	4%
Audio learning (e.g. podcasts)	2%	2%	3%
Other	<1%	<1%	<1%
Unsure	<1%	<1%	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8728.

Q95 - Thinking of the following types of learning methods, please rank the top three methods most effective for you, where 1 is the most effective for you, 2 is the second most effective and 3 is the third most effective, when it comes to you obtaining knowledge (understanding concepts and factual information) [RANDOMIZE][RANDOMIZE]

Age

· Public servants in the 25 to 29 (12%) and 30 to 34 (14%) age cohorts are less likely to rank online self-paced courses first compared to public servants overall (22%).

· Individuals in the 24 and under (36%) and 30 to 34 (36%) age cohorts are more likely to rank on-the-job learning first than public servants on average (26%), while those 60 plus are less likely to rank this first (16%).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Gaps and barriers for skills

Close to four in ten public servants said they need more new skills (38%) while just under one third say they require few or no new skills (31%, mean of 5.8). In terms of the types of skills they are most interested in obtaining, project/people/risk management received the most mentions (17%), followed by using advanced tools and software (14%), writing/presenting/reporting (13%), and data analysis/literacy (12%).

Skills Required to Perform at Their Job

Amount of Skills Required	Total (n=8700)
Mean	5.8
Little to no new skills needed (0-3)	31%
Moderate amount of skills needed (4-6)	30%
Much more skills needed (7-10)	38%
Unsure	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8700.

Q96 – On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is no new skills are needed at all and 10 is much more skills are needed, how would you rate your current skills (meaning your ability to perform tasks and solve problems) in terms of your ability to perform at your job?

Age

· Public servants in the 60 plus age cohort are less likely to feel they need more skills (mean of 4.4) than public servants overall (mean of 5.2).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Areas of Interest for Additional Skills

Types of Skills	Total (n=911)*
Project/people/time/risk management	17%
Using advanced tools/software	14%
Writing/presenting/reporting	13%
Data analysis/literacy	12%
Communication	9%
Computer design and programming	8%
Critical thinking, problem solving	5%
Financial systems/budget	5%
Dealing with a difficult colleague/facilitation/conflict resolution	4%
Time management	4%
Competencies related to my job/improvement	3%
Leadership	2%
Always interest in learning new things	2%
Understanding different processes/the government works	2%
Technical knowledge/skills	1%

Base: Partial dataset, n=911, run using Machine Learning Analysis. Please Appendix A for a description of the process.

Q97 – What types of skills are you interested in obtaining? [OPEN]

Effective Learning methods for learning new skills

When it comes to learning new skills, public servants also ranked on-the-job learning first; however, they were about two times more likely to rank it first (30%) compared to online self-paced courses (16%) and in-person classroom learning (15%).

Ranking Preferred Learning Methods for Obtaining Skills

Type of Learning Method	Rank 1	Rank 2	Rank 3
On-the-job learning (including job shadowing, coaching and mentoring opportunities)	30%	20%	13%
Online self-paced courses (e-Learning)	16%	15%	16%
In-person classroom learning (instructor-led, can include multiple sessions)	16%	13%	11%
Virtual classroom learning (instructor-led, can include multiple sessions)	12%	14%	12%
Hands-on workshops	13%	15%	13%
Conferences and Events (either in person, hybrid or virtual)	4%	7%	10%
Microlearning (e.g. short videos, job aids, articles, blog posts)	3%	7%	9%
Community meetups and peer to peer learning (in-person or virtual through community space)	2%	5%	8%
Immersive learning (e.g. gaming, virtual reality)	2%	3%	5%
Audio learning (e.g. podcasts)	1%	2%	2%
Other	<1%	<1%	<1%
Unsure	1%	<1%	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8728.

Q98 – Thinking of the following types of learning methods, please rank the top three methods most effective for you, where 1 is the most effective for you, 2 is the second most effective and 3 is the third most effective, when it comes to you learning new skills (meaning your ability to perform tasks and solve problems)[RANDOMIZE]

Age

· Similar to preferred learning methods to obtain knowledge, older public servants (60 plus: 17%) are less likely to rank on-the-job learning as the most effective method to learn new skills than public servants overall (30%).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Factors impacting participation in learning activities

A third of public servants rank the relevance of the topic to their work as the factor with the biggest impact on their participation in a learning activity (33%) followed by the workload (21%) and personal interest in the topic (17%).

Potential Factors Impacting Participation in Professional Learning

Factors	Rank 1	Rank 2	Rank 3
Relevance of the topic to your work	33%	23%	15%
Workload	21%	12%	11%
Personal interest in the topic	17%	15%	13%
Time investment to participate	9%	18%	17%
Cost to participate	7%	7%	10%
Delivery method available	7%	14%	17%
Format of the activity	3%	8%	12%
Whether a certification is offered	3%	4%	5%
Other	1%	<1%	2%
Unsure	1%	<1%	1%

Base: All respondents, n=8728.

Q99 – Thinking of possible factors that impact your decision to participate in a particular professional learning activity, please rank the top three factors with the biggest impact on your participation, where 1 is the biggest impact, 2 is the second biggest and 3 is the third biggest impact. [RANDOMIZE]

Age

· No significant differences by age are observed.

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Barriers to participating in learning activities

Responding public servants most often select a lack of time or operational requirements as a barrier they have encountered when trying to participate in professional learning activities (63%). About one third each say they have encountered a course not being offered (31%), not being available (31%) or being full (31%).

Barriers Encountered When Accessing Professional Learning

Barriers	Total (n=8629)
Lack of time / operational requirements	63%
Course is not offered / no curriculum options	31%
Course is full	31%
Course not available	31%
Lack of local opportunities / remote options	26%
Lack of understanding of where to find training	25%
Lack of funding	25%
I have not faced any barriers	11%
Course is not offered in the preferred official language	6%
Course is not compatible with assistive technologies (for persons with disabilities)	1%
Unsure	5%

Base: All respondents, n=8629.

Q100 – In general, which of the following barriers, if any, have you encountered when trying to participate in professional learning activities in the past? [RANDOMIZE] Select all that apply

Age

· Individuals in the 60 plus age cohort are more likely to say they have not faced any barriers (22%) than public servants overall (11%).

· Those under 24 years old (44%) and 60 plus (51%) are less likely to say a lack of time or operational requirements is a barrier to them (63% of public servants overall).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· Public servants residing inside the NCR are more likely to say they have encountered the course not being offered or no curriculum options (36%) than non-NCR residents (28%) or the course not being available (NCR: 36%; non-NCR: 28%), while non-NCR residents are more likely to say they have encountered a lack of local opportunities or remote options (33%; NCR residents: 15%).

Main sources of professional learning

A majority of responding public servants say the Canada School of Public service is one of their main sources of professional learning (85%). One third of respondents selected a college or university (32%) as one of their main sources, followed by online sites (28%), industry associations (12%) and non-profits (10%).

Main Sources of Professional Learning

Impact	Total (n=8503)
Canada School of Public Service	85%
A college/university	32%
Online sites (ex. Coursera, CareerProCourse.ca, etc)	28%
Industry association (ex. CPA, Law Society, etc)	12%
Non-profits (ex. Institute on Governance, Career Professionals of Canada)	10%
Unsure	5%

Base: All respondents, n=8503.

Q101 – What are your main sources of professional learning? [INSERT LIST] [RANDOMIZE] [SELECT ALL THAT APPLY]

Age

· Younger public servants (24 and under) are less likely to select CSPS as a main source of professional learning (75%) than public servants overall (85%).

Gender

· No significant differences by gender are observed.

Region

· No significant differences by region are observed.

Detailed Focus Group findings

A. Module A: Opportunities and barriers

Potential motivators and barriers to participate in more professional learning activities

Q - Let’s talk about opportunities and barriers to participating in professional learning activities.

What, if anything, would most encourage you to participate in more professional learning activities? Why do you say that?

Q - What, if anything, would be the biggest barriers to participating in more professional learning activities? Why do you say that?

When asked what, if anything, would most encourage them to participate in more professional learning activities, participants touched on the barriers and motivators to participating in professional learning. Participants most often mentioned time, including having dedicated time for training in their work schedule, as well as having a course be available at multiple times/on different days. Also mentioned was needing relevant content or targeted courses to specific skills or topics related to their profession, which also included needing more advanced training activities. Other mentions included:

• Access to information on courses available (plus clearly outlined objectives for each course);

• Outcomes of the training such as certification, proof of achievement or recognition from management;

• Reducing the red tape and paperwork required to take training;

• Live/in-person events;

• Support from management in professional development;

• Accessibility of courses (i.e. closed captioning);

• Incentives and/or allowances for paid training;

• More support for shift workers who want to do training (i.e. dedicated full days for training); and,

• More selection/options overall.

Specifically mentioned by French public servants who participated in the focus groups was the availability of professional learning activities in the language of their choice with the same number of options (i.e. if two times are offered for one course in English, two times could be offered in French).

Encountered barriers to participate in more professional learning activities and supports needed

Q - Have you encountered any barriers when participating or seeking to participate in professional learning activities? If so, which ones?

What kind of supports would you need to participate in the profession learning activities you are interested in?

Most often mentioned as a support needed to participate in the professional learning activities they are interested in was managerial support including accommodation from managers and supervisors in order to take training. Similar to motivators for participating in more professional learning activities, allocated time for training was also an important support mentioned by participants. This was followed by:

· Funding for training including travel costs for in-person activities;

· Offering courses in multiple modes (i.e. self-paced online, virtual group learning, and in-person);

· Outlining learning paths and clearly stating objectives/outcomes of the learning activities;

· Tracking training taken for employees throughout their career advancement;

· Promotion of training opportunities and dissemination on course availability; and,

· Accessibility and format that platform professional learning activities are offered in.

B. Module B: Learning experience

What makes for a positive or negative learning experience?

Q - Now let’s talk about what makes for a positive learning experience. What makes for a positive learning experience? Anything else?

A good instructor, quality of the content and delivery, and applicability of the learnings were commonly raised by participants as making for a positive learning experience. More specifically, participants said that an instructor who knows how to read the room, engage participants, and keep the flow of learning at a manageable but efficient pace is a key contributor to a positive learning experience. Also mentioned by participants as aspects of a positive learning experience included the ability to engage with other participants whether it be in-person or virtually, networking with other colleagues and professionals, and variation in the delivery modes of the learning activity. Rewards such as certificates, a promotion or recognition from a superior were also mentioned as being part of a positive learning experience.

A few participants mentioned respect, well-defined schedules and/or deliverables, use of technologies such as Slido or breakout rooms, and learning in smaller groups. A couple participants also added that an inclusive and comfortable environment would make for a positive learning experience, with participants referring to both the physical environment (i.e. temperature of the room, lighting, etc.) and the non-physical environment (i.e. not being forced to participate, a judgment free zone, etc.).

What makes for a negative learning experience?

Q - What makes for a negative learning experience? Anything else?

Conversely, participants mentioned a bad instructor, poor delivery of the content and not being able to apply the learnings in their job makes for a bad learning experience. Also mentioned as making for a negative learning experience was:

• Instructors being monotonous or reading from the slides;

• Lack of engagement from participants or the instructor;

• Over-engagement by some participants who monopolize the learning experience;

• Passing judgment on one’s learning abilities or the questions they ask; and,

• Courses being scheduled during meeting heavy times of the day/week.

Best and worst learning experiences

Q - Can you tell me about the BEST professional learning experience you ever had? What made it the best experience?

Can you tell me about the WORST professional learning experience that you have had, if any? What made it a bad experience?

Best learning experience anecdotes:

“The School did a virtual classroom on unpacking unconscious biases, morning and afternoon, which made it easy to structure around it. There was a theory component since it is a heavy topic. On the second day there was practical application.”

“I recently did the four colours learning course which was about personality types. We did this for our first in person session together as a new team. It was very useful as the trainers did a very good job at getting us to respect our differences, to see who thinks similar to us, and how this might affect our working relationship with each other. The trainers did a good job at getting us to engage with each other. It was also very relevant to our job, taught us how to email certain people, engage with them and work with them.”

“It was a leadership course where they got to know me, lots of reflection was involved. I could see myself within the course itself which goes back to the importance of relevancy.”

“There are a few I can think of which had a combination of a little bit of information and interaction and discussions, there have been modules or workshops talking about culture confidence for example or leadership development, so it's usually a combination of information and engagement.”

Worst learning experience anecdotes:

“Taking some courses in French, they had a lot of breakout sessions. Due to inexperience, a lot of mistakes were being spread through the breakout groups. It is important to have someone in the room that knows what they are talking about.”

“Targeting the right audience is key. Worst experience was over 10 years ago. Every person was required to take this, project time management, colossal waste of money, and we never did project management after the training. In a room full of people with no interest, which was disruptive to the learning. Real negative is when government tries to paint everything with the same paint brush. You have to target and tailor it to the people. You’ve got to have some flexibility in the training.”

“I have had to shadow somebody for a day and the next day they told me to do it, there was no feedback and no comments and I had to do the job the next day. I didn't even know where to start.”

“When someone is very clearly not interested in what they're talking about and they're just reading a manual it's brutal to sit through - it all goes back to how good the facilitator is.”

C. Module C: Methods of learning

Benefits and drawbacks of online solo learning

Q - Lastly, let’s explore the different methods of learning such as remote online or in-person learning activities.

What are the benefits, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill solo online?

What are the drawbacks, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill solo online?

When asked what the benefits are, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill solo online, participants most often mentioned that solo online learning is best suited for knowledge-based learning and topics that aren’t overly complicated, that it allows for flexibility in terms of scheduling, and allows them to go at their own pace and rewind or breeze through as needed. Also mentioned as benefits were having the information on hand to reference at any point, that it is safer for immunocompromised people, especially during the pandemic, that it is accessible to most people as there is no traveling involved, and that it is good if you are shy or less likely to engage in group settings.

On the flip side, participants mentioned a lack of engagement as the biggest drawback of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill solo online. They also mentioned that it can be harder to focus on the learnings, that you might not learn as much as in-person or a group setting where you can hear multiple perspectives, that you cannot take away practical skills from online learning, and that it is harder to ask questions or get clarification when needed.

Benefits and drawbacks of online group learning

Q - What are the benefits, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill online in a group setting?

What are the drawbacks, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill individually online in a group setting?

Benefits of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill online in a group setting most often mentioned by participants were more opportunities for engagement than solo learning, including through collaboration and break out rooms, and accessibility of virtual learning both in terms of travel and mobility, as well as the ability to turn on closed captions.

Drawbacks mentioned by participants were limited engagement as some participants will keep their cameras/microphones off, that it is easy to multitask and tune in and out of the learning activity, and that flow is harder to control or maintain in an online group setting compared to in-person.

Learning activities best suited for remote online learning

Q - What types of learning activities are best suited for remote online learning? Why?

Participants most often said that acquiring knowledge such as learning about policies was best suited for remote online learning. Participants also mentioned that learning activities that utilized break out rooms in Teams or other virtual meeting platforms were useful for encouraging participation and enhancing the learning. Participants thought that remote online learning activities which focused on keeping on element of interactivity and/or collaboration were the most positive approach for online learning. Some participants mentioned that learning activities like mandatory training and certification reviews or refreshers were best suited for an online self-paced format.

Some participants mentioned learning a new skill like Excel or coding could be well suited for remote online learning since they utilize computer programs.

Benefits and drawbacks of group in-person learning

Q - What are the benefits, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill in-person in a group setting?

What are the drawbacks, if any, of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill in-person in a group setting?

A majority of participants had positive views of acquiring knowledge or learning a new skill in-person in a group setting with many stating that is their preferred way of learning. Benefits of in-person group learning mentioned by participants included networking and making new connections, less distractions, better flow for discussions and even class structure (i.e. regular breaks which can often be neglected when at home), and the ability to learn from your peers or gain different perspectives. Some participants mentioned that it is easier for instructors to gauge body language of participants to better understand group dynamics and adjust their teaching if necessary.

Drawbacks of in-person learning in a group setting mentioned by participants were cost – for the courses themselves and/or for travel, approvals for in-person activities often being harder to get, and time management. Some participants said that in-person learning did not meet their needs, but preferred the virtual group settings or self-paced online learning for a variety of reasons including being introverted, not being able to travel, feeling more comfortable at home, or accessibility of online services such as closed captioning.

Learning activities best suited for in-person learning

Q - What types of learning activities are best suited for in-person learning? Why?

Participants unanimously said that learning a new skill, especially a very hands-on skill, is best suited for in-person learning. Examples of learning activities involving learning a new skill mentioned by participants included CPR training, language training, or negotiations training where seeing someone’s body language is an important part of the training. Learning activities where getting feedback from instructors and colleagues is important, multi-day courses, and learning activities where you need to show a final product were also mentioned as being best suited for in-person.

Some participants mentioned that in-person learning, especially in smaller group settings, provides a safer space than online. In-person also allows the instructor/facilitator to manage discussions and check on participants when dealing with sensitive topics like mental health.

Appendix A: Methodology

Quantitative phase

The survey was also available via an open link programmed by Nanos and posted on the CSPS website, to collect respondents’ self-perceived training, learning and development needs. The purpose of the open link was to enable any public servant who wished to share their views the opportunity to do so, even if they were not randomly selected to participate in the invite survey.

All respondents self-administered the survey online.

Machine Learning Analysis

Due to the large number of responses to the open-ended questions, Nanos utilized machine learning algorithms to assist with the coding. When dealing with an array of responses in large respondent sets the algorithm allows us to group like responses automatically. Nanos Research uses the Latent Dirilecht Allocation modelling method for natural language processing, which is an efficient way of providing an unbiased and quantitative approach to the sorting of datasets (words) into groups (topics).

Nanos ran an unsupervised model MLA on the data which codes all responses into categories. Each category has six words associated to it with probabilities that each word is properly assigned to the category. Additionally, the coding of the responses also has a probability score for each response coded. This process enabled Nanos to more quickly and accurately categorize sentiment and opinions, while minimizing human bias and error.

As a rule to be consistent, Nanos used the first mention in the response to determine if the response was correctly coded or not. As the MLA performed differently on each question, Nanos had a slightly different approach to verifying the Analysis for each question.

• Question 94 – A Nanos Analyst checked all responses that had a probability score of 10% and above. Out of the 5,765 responses coded, the Analyst checked 3,703 responses and out of the 3,703, 1301 were correctly coded and 2,402 were not, for an estimated success rate of 35.1%. The 1,301 correctly coded responses were then verified manually by a second Analyst.

• Question 97 – A Nanos Analyst checked all responses that had a probability score of 7% and above. Out of the 4,862 responses coded, the Analyst checked 4,471 responses and out of the 4,471, 911 were correctly coded and 3,559 were not for an estimated success rate of 20.4%. The 911 correctly coded responses were then verified manually by a second Analyst.

Qualitative phase

Groups consisted of at minimum 6 participants to up to 10 participants. Nanos recruited 330 survey participants who had expressed interest in the focus group research through the online survey, in order for a total of 87 individuals to participate in the focus groups. The focus groups were a maximum of 90 minutes in length and were conducted using Microsoft Teams.

The research was commissioned by CSPS and was conducted by Nanos Research.

This report contains the findings from the probability survey and the focus groups.

Appendix B: Value and Interest in Learning – Tables by Demographics

Table 1 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by age and gender

Learning Area	Age									Gender
Learning Area	24 and under	25-29	30-34	35-39	40-44	45-49	50-54	55-59	60 plus	Male	Female	Other
Communication skills	7.5	7.1	7.6	7.6	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.9	7.7	7.7	-*
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.7	6.0	7.2	7.7	7.2	7.2	7.5	7.2	7.5	7.4	7.2	-*
Use of data and data literacy	7.3	7.0	7.2	6.6	6.9	7.3	7.8	7.4	7.0	7.6	6.9	-*
Product management, agile, design	-*	7.0	7.1	6.5	7.2	7.0	7.2	7.2	7.1	7.2	7.0	-*
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.4	7.4	7.0	7.1	6.9	6.8	6.8	7.0	7.1	6.4	7.3	6.8
Indigenous reconciliation	7.7	6.8	7.7	7.4	7.7	7.3	7.5	7.3	7.5	6.9	7.5	8.0
General knowledge on government operations	6.9	6.6	6.7	6.9	6.9	6.8	7.1	7.0	7.1	6.9	7.0	6.5
Delegation of authorities	-*	6.9	7.6	6.8	7.3	7.2	7.4	7.6	7.6	7.3	7.4	-*
Training for functional specialists	7.6	7.2	7.4	7.2	7.7	7.5	7.7	7.6	7.7	7.5	7.6	-*
Leadership	7.8	6.7	7.5	7.2	8.0	7.9	7.9	7.7	8.0	7.4	7.9	-*
Business skills	8.1	7.2	7.3	7.2	7.5	7.4	7.3	7.5	7.6	7.4	7.4	-*
Mental health & wellbeing	7.6	8.0	7.2	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.3	7.4	7.1	7.5	6.2
Collaboration	7.5	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.2	7.4	7.2	7.6	-*

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 2 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by age and gender

Learning Area	Age									Gender
Learning Area	24 and under	25-29	30-34	35-39	40-44	45-49	50-54	55-59	60 plus	Male	Female	Other
Communication skills	7.2	6.7	7.6	7.8	7.7	7.7	7.5	7.4	7.2	7.3	7.6	-*
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.3	7.4	7.6	7.6	7.8	7.0	7.5	7.7	7.5	7.6	7.5	-*
Use of data and data literacy	7.1	7.7	7.8	6.9	8.0	7.6	8.2	7.4	7.0	7.9	7.4	-*
Product management, agile, design	-*	7.3	7.2	6.6	7.3	7.2	7.3	6.8	6.8	7.1	7.1	-*
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.0	6.7	6.8	6.7	6.5	6.3	5.9	6.5	6.2	5.9	6.8	7.9
Indigenous reconciliation	7.9	6.9	7.6	7.3	7.5	7.3	7.2	7.0	6.9	6.7	7.4	8.7
General knowledge on government operations	6.0	5.4	6.2	6.5	6.5	6.2	6.3	6.0	6.2	6.3	6.2	5.7
Delegation of authorities	-	6.1	6.3	6.1	6.6	6.3	6.1	6.1	6.2	6.2	6.3	-*
Training for functional specialists	6.9	7.8	7.2	7.0	7.5	7.4	7.2	7.3	7.0	7.2	7.4	-*
Leadership	7.3	6.9	8.1	7.6	8.2	8.1	7.7	7.4	7.2	7.4	8.0	-*
Business skills	8.1	7.0	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.5	7.3	7.1	7.1	7.4	7.4	-*
Mental health & wellbeing	7.8	7.4	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.3	7.4	7.6	7.4	7.1	7.5	7.1
Collaboration	7.0	6.1	7.6	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.3	6.9	6.8	6.9	7.3	-*

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 3 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by region

Learning Area	Province										Region
Learning Area	AB	BC	MB	NB	NL	NS	ON**	PEI	QC**	SK	NCR	Non-NCR
Communication skills	7.9	7.3	7.8	7.9	9.1	7.9	8.0	7.9	8.1	7.2	7.4	7.9
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.1	6.7	7.2	7.0	7.4	7.5	7.3	-*	8.0	6.7	7.1	7.3
Use of data and data literacy	7.2	7.1	7.2	7.4	-*	7.1	7.4	-*	8.3	-*	6.9	7.5
Product management, agile, design	7.0	7.4	6.3	6.4	-*	7.0	7.3	-*	7.7	-*	6.9	7.2
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.6	6.7	7.4	7.3	6.4	7.7	7.1	7.4	6.8	6.7	7.0	7.0
Indigenous reconciliation	7.2	7.3	6.1	7.9	7.8	8.2	7.3	8.0	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.3
General knowledge on government operations	6.4	6.5	5.8	7.2	7.2	7.3	6.9	7.1	7.1	6.4	7.0	6.8
Delegation of authorities	7.3	6.8	6.6	7.7	7.7	7.4	7.4	7.4	7.8	7.0	7.3	7.3
Training for functional specialists	7.5	7.2	7.5	7.9	7.9	7.8	7.6	7.5	7.5	7.1	7.5	7.5
Leadership	7.7	7.4	7.5	7.7	6.4	7.8	7.8	8.0	8.3	7.3	7.7	7.7
Business skills	7.3	7.1	7.4	7.1	8.3	7.2	7.5	7.6	7.8	6.7	7.4	7.4
Mental health & wellbeing	7.2	7.1	7.8	7.7	7.4	7.6	7.5	7.7	7.9	7.4	7.1	7.6
Collaboration	7.2	7.0	7.7	7.4	7.7	7.3	7.1	7.6	8.2	7.1	7.3	7.4

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 4 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by region

Learning Area	Province										Region
Learning Area	AB	BC	MB	NB	NL	NS	ON**	PEI	QC**	SK	NCR	Non-NCR
Communication skills	7.6	7.2	7.6	7.8	6.4	7.8	7.7	7.4	8.2	7.4	7.3	7.6
Digital technology & working in a digital age	6.5	7.1	7.6	7.1	8.4	7.7	7.4	-*	8.1	7.2	7.7	7.4
Use of data and data literacy	7.7	7.4	7.7	7.8	-*	7.3	7.6	6.7	8.2	-*	7.5	7.7
Product management, agile, design	6.9	7.3	6.5	6.8	-*	6.8	7.5	-*	7.7	-*	6.9	7.2
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.2	6.3	6.1	6.4	6.2	7.3	6.5	7.1	5.9	6.1	6.5	6.3
Indigenous reconciliation	7.5	7.1	6.1	7.4	8.0	7.7	7.2	7.3	7.0	7.2	7.1	7.2
General knowledge on government operations	5.9	5.8	4.8	6.4	6.6	6.7	6.5	6.4	6.6	6.1	6.2	6.2
Delegation of authorities	6.3	5.5	6.5	6.7	6.8	6.3	6.4	6.6	6.9	6.4	6.1	6.4
Training for functional specialists	7.1	6.8	7.3	7.5	8.1	7.7	7.3	7.1	7.2	7.5	7.3	7.3
Leadership	7.8	7.3	7.6	7.9	6.6	7.8	7.9	8.3	8.2	7.3	7.7	7.8
Business skills	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.4	8.6	7.3	7.6	7.5	7.6	7.7	7.3	7.5
Mental health & wellbeing	7.3	7.2	6.8	7.7	8.0	8.2	7.5	7.6	7.7	7.5	7.2	7.5
Collaboration	7.1	7.2	6.1	7.1	7.4	7.5	7.1	7.2	7.9	7.4	7.1	7.2

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 5 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by status and role

Learning Area	Employee Role					Employee Status
Learning Area	New PS	Employee	Supervisor	Manager	Executive	Indeterminate	Term	Casual	Student
Communication skills	8.3	7.5	7.5	7.7	7.8	7.6	8.1	8.2	7.7
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.7	7.1	7.0	7.1	7.1	7.1	7.9	7.3	7.3
Use of data and data literacy	7.6	7.2	7.0	7.1	6.2	7.0	8.0	8.3	7.1
Product management, agile, design	7.7	7.0	7.2	6.9	6.0	6.9	7.8	-*	-*
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.5	7.0	6.5	6.7	7.2	6.8	7.7	7.7	7.2
Indigenous reconciliation	8.0	7.3	7.1	7.3	7.1	7.2	8.1	8.3	7.9
General knowledge on government operations	7.3	6.7	6.7	6.9	7.3	6.8	7.4	7.3	6.7
Delegation of authorities	7.6	7.1	7.3	7.6	7.0	7.3	7.9	-*	-*
Training for functional specialists	7.7	7.6	7.2	7.5	6.9	7.5	7.8	8.0	7.7
Leadership	7.6	7.6	7.7	7.9	7.6	7.6	8.1	8.7	7.4
Business skills	7.8	7.3	7.2	7.4	7.6	7.3	7.9	7.3	7.9
Mental health & wellbeing	7.7	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.3	7.2	7.9	8.0	7.1
Collaboration	7.8	7.2	7.0	7.5	7.9	7.3	7.8	7.7	7.2

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 6 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by status and role

Learning Area	Employee Role					Employee Status
Learning Area	New PS	Employee	Supervisor	Manager	Executive	Indeterminate	Term	Casual	Student
Communication skills	7.7	7.5	7.4	7.4	6.9	7.4	8.1	7.7	7.1
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.7	7.5	7.5	7.2	7.4	7.5	7.9	7.1	7.0
Use of data and data literacy	7.8	7.7	7.7	7.4	6.4	7.6	8.0	8.0	7.4
Product management, agile, design	7.8	7.1	7.1	6.8	5.9	6.9	8.2	-	-
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.0	6.3	6.0	6.3	6.8	6.2	7.4	7.6	6.7
Indigenous reconciliation	7.9	7.1	7.2	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.9	8.2	8.0
General knowledge on government operations	6.9	6.1	6.0	6.0	6.2	6.1	7.2	6.6	6.1
Delegation of authorities	7.0	6.3	6.3	6.3	5.3	6.2	7.2	-	-
Training for functional specialists	7.4	7.5	7.1	7.1	6.2	7.2	7.6	7.5	6.9
Leadership	7.6	7.7	7.7	8.1	7.6	7.7	8.2	7.5	6.9
Business skills	7.8	7.4	7.3	7.4	6.8	7.3	7.9	7.4	7.8
Mental health & wellbeing	7.7	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.2	7.2	7.9	8.2	7.4
Collaboration	7.8	7.0	6.7	7.4	7.3	7.1	7.9	7.4	6.7

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 7 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by tenure

Learning Area	Tenure (Years)							Tenure (Months – if less than 1 year)
Learning Area	<1 year	1-5 years	6-10 years	11-15 years	16-20 years	20-25 years	>25 years	1-3 months	4-6 months	6-11 months
Communication skills	8.2	7.9	7.1	7.5	7.5	7.7	7.8	8.4	8.4	8.1
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.9	7.4	6.3	7.1	7.1	7.5	7.0	7.9	8.4	7.7
Use of data and data literacy	7.6	7.4	7.8	7.1	6.5	7.1	7.1	7.8	7.8	7.3
Product management, agile, design	7.7	7.5	6.9	6.8	6.9	7.1	7.0	-*	7.8	7.4
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.7	7.3	6.8	6.6	6.7	6.8	6.9	7.8	7.7	7.7
Indigenous reconciliation	8.1	7.4	7.5	7.3	7.4	7.1	7.3	8.0	8.3	8.0
General knowledge on government operations	7.4	6.8	6.9	6.6	6.8	7.0	7.0	7.6	7.4	7.3
Delegation of authorities	7.5	7.4	7.4	7.2	7.1	7.4	7.7	-*	7.9	7.5
Training for functional specialists	7.8	7.6	7.3	7.4	7.7	7.6	7.7	8.0	7.8	7.7
Leadership	7.9	7.6	7.8	7.6	7.8	7.8	7.8	8.3	8.3	7.6
Business skills	7.9	7.7	7.3	7.1	7.2	7.2	7.6	8.3	7.7	7.7
Mental health & wellbeing	7.9	7.5	7.5	7.1	7.3	7.4	7.2	7.7	8.0	7.9
Collaboration	7.9	7.6	7.1	7.2	7.4	7.3	7.2	8.1	8.0	7.8

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 8 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by tenure

Learning Area	Tenure (Years)							Tenure (Months – if less than 1 year)
Learning Area	<1 year	1-5 years	6-10 years	11-15 years	16-20 years	20-25 years	>25 years	1-3 months	4-6 months	6-11 months
Communication skills	8.1	7.7	7.4	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.2	8.3	8.4	7.7
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.7	7.8	7.7	6.7	7.2	7.6	7.5	8.2	7.8	7.7
Use of data and data literacy	7.7	7.9	8.0	7.4	7.7	7.5	7.3	7.8	8.0	7.5
Product management, agile, design	7.8	7.7	7.1	6.9	6.8	6.7	6.5	-*	8.2	7.4
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.3	6.7	6.1	6.1	6.2	6.0	6.4	7.3	7.3	7.3
Indigenous reconciliation	8.0	7.4	7.5	7.1	7.1	6.9	6.7	7.8	8.2	8.0
General knowledge on government operations	7.0	6.4	6.2	5.7	6.2	6.0	5.9	7.3	7.1	6.8
Delegation of authorities	7.1	6.6	6.4	6.0	6.5	6.0	5.8	-*	7.3	7.0
Training for functional specialists	7.4	7.5	7.7	6.9	7.3	7.1	7.0	7.5	7.5	7.4
Leadership	8.1	7.9	8.1	7.8	7.9	7.8	7.1	8.0	8.2	8.0
Business skills	7.9	7.8	7.6	7.1	7.2	7.1	7.1	8.5	7.8	7.5
Mental health & wellbeing	7.8	7.4	7.7	7.1	7.2	7.3	7.7	7.9	8.2	7.6
Collaboration	7.8	7.2	7.2	7.0	7.1	7.1	6.6	7.6	7.9	7.8

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 9 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by language and disability

Learning Area	First Official Language			Language Used at Work			Disability Self Identify
Learning Area	English	French	Other	English	French	Other	Yes	No	Prefer not to Answer
Communication skills	7.6	8.0	7.9	7.6	8.1	8.2	7.5	7.7	7.4
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.0	7.7	7.9	7.1	7.8	7.7	7.0	7.3	6.8
Use of data and data literacy	7.1	7.5	-*	7.1	8.0	-*	7.6	7.1	6.5
Product management, agile, design	7.1	7.4	-*	7.1	7.7	-*	6.9	7.1	6.9
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.0	7.0	7.2	7.0	6.9	7.1	6.8	7.1	6.2
Indigenous reconciliation	7.3	7.5	7.7	7.3	7.6	7.4	7.2	7.4	6.7
General knowledge on government operations	6.8	7.1	7.7	6.9	7.1	6.8	6.8	6.9	6.5
Delegation of authorities	7.2	7.7	7.8	7.3	8.0	7.6	7.2	7.4	6.7
Training for functional specialists	7.4	7.9	7.7	7.5	7.8	7.3	7.4	7.6	7.2
Leadership	7.5	8.2	7.9	7.7	8.3	8.0	7.7	7.7	7.6
Business skills	7.3	7.7	7.3	7.4	7.7	8.1	7.1	7.5	7.2
Mental health & wellbeing	7.1	7.8	7.4	7.2	7.8	7.5	6.8	7.4	6.9
Collaboration	7.2	7.9	-*	7.3	8.0	8.2	7.4	7.4	6.9

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 10 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by language and disability

Learning Area	First Official Language			Language Used at Work			Disability Self Identify
Learning Area	English	French	Other	English	French	Other	Yes	No	Prefer not to Answer
Communication skills	7.4	7.8	8.1	7.4	8.0	7.7	7.5	7.5	7.2
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.4	7.8	8.0	7.4	7.9	7.8	7.2	7.6	6.9
Use of data and data literacy	7.6	8.0	-*	7.7	8.0	-*	8.0	7.5	7.3
Product management, agile, design	7.1	7.3	-*	7.1	7.6	-*	7.0	7.1	7.0
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.5	6.2	6.5	6.5	6.1	6.9	6.4	6.4	5.9
Indigenous reconciliation	7.1	7.3	7.6	7.2	7.3	7.1	7.1	7.2	6.6
General knowledge on government operations	6.1	6.5	7.0	6.2	6.5	6.1	6.3	6.2	6.0
Delegation of authorities	6.0	6.7	6.9	6.2	6.9	6.3	6.0	6.3	6.4
Training for functional specialists	7.2	7.6	7.6	7.3	7.4	7.0	7.3	7.3	7.1
Leadership	7.6	8.2	8.1	7.7	8.2	8.1	7.9	7.7	7.5
Business skills	7.3	7.5	8.0	7.4	7.6	7.2	7.3	7.4	7.2
Mental health & wellbeing	7.2	7.5	7.5	7.3	7.7	7.4	7.2	7.4	7.1
Collaboration	7.0	7.6	-*	7.1	7.7	7.5	7.3	7.1	7.0

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 11 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by ethnic community**

Learning Area	Ethnic Community (Most Selected)
Learning Area	White	Metis	Mixed descent	South Asian	First Nations	Chinese	Black	Filipino	Latin American	Arab	Southeast Asian
Communication skills	7.6	7.5	7.3	8.0	7.6	7.6	8.5	8.0	8.0	7.8	7.5
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.1	6.9	6.6	8.3	7.6	7.5	7.9	-*	7.9	7.3	-*
Use of data and data literacy	7.1	6.8	6.4	8.0	-*	7.4	7.7	-*	7.9	7.6	-*
Product management, agile, design	7.1	7.2	6.9	8.0	-*	7.5	8.3	-*	-*	-*	-*
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.9	7.1	6.8	7.7	7.3	7.0	8.2	7.6	7.8	6.5	7.2
Indigenous reconciliation	7.3	7.8	7.6	7.9	8.3	7.0	8.5	7.6	8.5	3.9	7.2
General knowledge on government operations	6.8	6.8	6.6	7.4	6.8	7.1	8.0	7.0	7.4	7.7	7.0
Delegation of authorities	7.4	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.7	7.4	8.3	-*	8.1	8.3	-*
Training for functional specialists	7.5	7.3	7.1	7.9	7.2	7.5	8.1	7.4	7.9	7.8	7.4
Leadership	7.7	7.6	7.4	7.8	7.7	7.5	8.5	7.9	8.3	8.2	7.9
Business skills	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.9	8.3	7.3	8.2	-*	8.3	8.3	7.4
Mental health & wellbeing	7.2	7.4	7.2	7.8	7.2	7.1	8.4	8.2	7.8	4.5	7.4
Collaboration	7.3	7.4	7.2	8.1	-*	7.4	8.1	-*	-*	7.7	-*

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

**Tables include most frequently selected ethnic communities. The full results can be found in the banner tables.

Table 12 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by ethnic community**

Learning Area	Ethnic Community (Most Selected)
Learning Area	White	Metis	Mixed descent	South Asian	First Nations	Chinese	Black	Filipino	Latin American	Arab	Southeast Asian
Communication skills	7.3	7.3	7.3	8.1	7.7	7.7	8.7	7.7	8.3	7.7	8.3
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.4	7.3	6.9	8.1	7.2	7.9	8.4	-*	7.9	7.5	-*
Use of data and data literacy	7.6	7.4	7.0	8.1	-*	8.1	7.7	-*	7.9	7.9	-*
Product management, agile, design	7.1	-*	7.3	8.0	-*	7.5	8.1	-*	-*	-*	-*
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.3	6.7	6.7	7.4	6.8	6.5	8.0	6.9	7.2	6.1	6.7
Indigenous reconciliation	7.1	7.6	7.7	8.1	8.8	7.0	8.4	7.2	8.2	3.7	7.1
General knowledge on government operations	6.0	6.2	6.3	7.4	6.2	6.6	7.7	6.3	6.8	7.1	6.7
Delegation of authorities	6.1	6.0	6.0	6.7	6.4	6.1	7.8	6.2	7.3	7.7	-*
Training for functional specialists	7.2	7.5	7.2	7.8	7.1	7.3	8.0	7.2	7.7	7.6	7.6
Leadership	7.7	7.5	7.7	8.2	7.7	7.8	8.4	8.5	8.4	7.9	8.2
Business skills	7.2	7.5	7.2	8.1	8.5	7.3	8.4	-*	8.6	8.8	7.6
Mental health & wellbeing	7.3	7.6	7.6	7.9	7.5	7.4	8.4	8.0	8.1	4.1	7.7
Collaboration	7.0	7.3	7.1	7.9	-*	7.6	8.2	-*	-*	7.5	-*

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

**Tables include most frequently selected ethnic communities. The full results can be found in the banner tables.

Table 13 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by classification group

Learning Area	Classification Group
Learning Area	AS	CR	CS	EC	ED	EX	FI	GT	IS	PE	PG	Student
Communication skills	7.7	8.0	7.5	7.5	8.0	7.8	7.8	7.2	8.0	7.5	7.6	7.7
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.2	7.7	7.8	6.8	7.2	7.1	7.1	7.0	7.4	7.2	7.5	7.5
Use of data and data literacy	7.2	7.7	7.5	7.3	7.6	7.1	7.0	7.4	6.6	6.8	7.0	7.3
Product management, agile, design	7.1	7.2	7.8	6.5	7.1	7.2	7.5	8.5	7.1	6.8	6.4	7.7
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.3	7.6	6.4	6.8	8.0	7.2	6.6	6.2	7.0	7.5	6.9	7.3
Indigenous reconciliation	7.6	8.0	6.9	7.7	8.4	7.6	6.6	7.2	7.9	7.8	7.3	7.9
General knowledge on government operations	7.1	7.2	6.7	7.0	7.0	7.3	7.6	6.5	7.0	6.7	7.2	6.8
Delegation of authorities	7.7	7.8	7.7	7.1	6.8	7.4	8.2	6.9	6.9	7.7	8.2	6.9
Training for functional specialists	7.7	7.7	7.7	6.9	7.8	7.5	8.1	7.9	7.2	8.4	8.0	7.8
Leadership	8.0	7.7	7.7	7.6	7.5	8.2	7.8	7.3	7.5	8.0	8.0	7.7
Business skills	7.4	7.3	7.7	7.3	6.6	7.4	7.7	7.0	6.7	7.2	8.1	7.9
Mental health & wellbeing	7.6	7.9	7.0	6.7	8.3	7.2	7.5	7.4	6.8	7.4	7.5	7.3
Collaboration	7.6	7.1	7.5	7.3	7.1	7.6	7.1	6.1	6.7	7.8	6.9	7.2

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 14 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by classification group

Learning Area	Classification Group
Learning Area	AS	CR	CS	EC	ED	EX	FI	GT	IS	PE	PG	Student
Communication skills	7.7	8.0	7.0	7.2	7.8	6.8	7.3	6.9	8.1	7.4	7.5	7.1
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.4	7.5	8.3	7.2	7.1	7.1	7.3	7.0	7.3	6.8	7.7	7.2
Use of data and data literacy	7.5	7.4	7.8	8.0	7.5	7.5	7.7	7.7	6.6	6.9	7.1	7.4
Product management, agile, design	7.3	7.2	7.5	6.7	7.4	6.8	7.0	8.2	7.9	6.7	6.8	7.2
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.7	6.8	5.5	6.5	7.9	6.8	5.6	5.7	6.8	7.4	6.0	6.7
Indigenous reconciliation	7.4	7.5	6.1	7.7	8.6	7.6	6.3	6.8	7.6	7.8	7.1	7.8
General knowledge on government operations	6.3	6.8	6.2	6.4	6.0	6.1	6.7	5.5	5.8	6.1	6.0	6.1
Delegation of authorities	6.7	7.2	6.7	5.8	5.3	5.3	7.0	6.6	5.5	5.9	7.1	6.4
Training for functional specialists	7.6	7.6	7.7	6.4	6.7	6.4	7.7	7.4	6.6	8.3	7.6	6.8
Leadership	7.9	7.9	7.6	7.7	7.9	8.3	7.6	6.8	8.0	8.2	8.0	7.2
Business skills	7.6	7.5	7.5	7.2	6.5	6.8	7.4	7.4	7.3	7.1	8.3	7.8
Mental health & wellbeing	7.7	7.8	6.7	6.9	7.9	7.2	7.1	6.9	7.1	7.3	7.4	7.4
Collaboration	7.4	7.2	6.9	7.1	7.1	7.1	7.0	6.9	6.4	7.6	7.0	6.9

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 15 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by classification level

Learning Area	Classification Level
Learning Area	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08
Communication skills	8.0	7.6	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.7	7.9	8.0
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.4	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.2	7.0	6.9	6.9
Use of data and data literacy	7.4	7.3	7.0	7.5	7.3	7.0	7.3	7.7
Product management, agile, design	7.6	6.9	7.0	7.6	7.1	6.8	7.1	6.9
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.5	7.1	6.8	7.2	7.0	6.8	6.7	6.9
Indigenous reconciliation	7.5	7.7	7.3	7.7	7.2	7.6	7.2	7.1
General knowledge on government operations	7.2	6.9	6.8	7.0	6.8	7.0	6.4	7.0
Delegation of authorities	7.7	7.6	7.3	7.7	7.2	7.4	7.4	7.3
Training for functional specialists	7.6	7.7	7.5	7.7	7.3	7.4	7.3	7.5
Leadership	8.2	7.7	7.6	7.8	7.7	8.0	8.0	7.9
Business skills	7.6	7.3	7.2	7.6	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.4
Mental health & wellbeing	7.6	7.4	7.4	7.5	7.3	7.3	7.0	7.7
Collaboration	7.7	7.0	7.3	7.6	7.3	7.6	7.7	7.6

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 16 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by classification level

Learning Area	Classification Level
Learning Area	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08
Communication skills	8.0	7.6	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.7	7.9	8.0
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.4	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.2	7.0	6.9	6.9
Use of data and data literacy	7.4	7.3	7.0	7.5	7.3	7.0	7.3	7.7
Product management, agile, design	7.6	6.9	7.0	7.6	7.1	6.8	7.1	6.9
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.5	7.1	6.8	7.2	7.0	6.8	6.7	6.9
Indigenous reconciliation	7.5	7.7	7.3	7.7	7.2	7.6	7.2	7.1
General knowledge on government operations	7.2	6.9	6.8	7.0	6.8	7.0	6.4	7.0
Delegation of authorities	7.7	7.6	7.3	7.7	7.2	7.4	7.4	7.3
Training for functional specialists	7.6	7.7	7.5	7.7	7.3	7.4	7.3	7.5
Leadership	8.2	7.7	7.6	7.8	7.7	8.0	8.0	7.9
Business skills	7.6	7.3	7.2	7.6	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.4
Mental health & wellbeing	7.6	7.4	7.4	7.5	7.3	7.3	7.0	7.7
Collaboration	7.7	7.0	7.3	7.6	7.3	7.6	7.7	7.6

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 17 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by functional area (pt 1)

Learning Area	Functional Area
Learning Area	CCC	HC Pract.	Fed. Reg.	Compliance	Comms	ATIP	Security	Science and Tech	Library	Legal	Admin	HR	Financial
Communication skills	8.3	8.1	7.9	8.0	8.2	8.5	7.7	7.6	7.0	7.6	7.8	7.8	7.9
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.8	7.4	7.5	7.4	7.6	7.8	7.6	7.1	7.1	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.2
Use of data and data literacy	8.0	7.4	7.1	7.2	7.0	8.2	7.0	7.5	7.4	6.4	7.2	7.1	7.3
Product management, agile, design	7.7	7.8	7.3	6.9	7.6	7.6	6.9	7.2	7.3	6.4	7.0	7.4	7.2
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.6	7.3	6.9	6.9	7.2	7.4	6.4	6.6	6.5	7.1	7.3	7.4	6.9
Indigenous reconciliation	8.1	7.8	7.0	6.9	7.9	7.6	6.6	7.3	7.5	7.9	7.7	7.6	7.3
General knowledge on government operations	7.4	6.7	7.1	6.8	7.2	7.5	6.7	6.5	6.2	6.9	7.1	7.1	7.3
Delegation of authorities	7.8	7.2	7.0	7.0	7.1	7.7	7.4	6.8	7.5	7.3	7.7	7.8	8.2
Training for functional specialists	8.0	8.1	7.2	7.4	7.5	8.0	7.6	6.9	6.7	6.9	7.6	8.0	7.9
Leadership	8.2	8.2	7.8	7.8	7.9	8.0	7.6	7.4	7.5	7.6	7.9	8.2	8.1
Business skills	8.1	7.6	7.1	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.3	7.1	6.5	7.0	7.4	7.4	7.6
Mental health & wellbeing	8.0	7.9	7.4	7.5	7.4	8.0	7.4	6.8	6.5	7.3	7.6	7.6	7.6
Collaboration	8.1	7.6	7.4	7.3	7.8	7.7	7.1	7.1	7.1	7.3	7.5	7.7	7.3

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 18 - Overall value of learning taken (mean) – by functional area (pt 2)

Learning Area	Functional Area
Learning Area	Procurement	Real property	Materiel managm’t	Info managm’t	IT	Internal Audit	Evaluation	Data Sciences	Policy	Project managm’t	Other
Communication skills	7.6	7.7	7.7	7.9	7.6	8.0	7.9	7.8	7.6	7.5	7.6
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.2	6.9	6.6	7.5	7.7	7.6	7.4	7.5	7.3	6.7	7.3
Use of data and data literacy	7.0	7.2	7.1	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.8	7.3	8.0	7.0	7.4
Product management, agile, design	7.0	7.2	6.7	7.4	7.6	7.0	7.5	6.9	6.8	6.8	7.4
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.9	6.8	6.7	7.0	6.4	7.6	7.2	7.2	6.5	7.0	6.9
Indigenous reconciliation	7.3	7.2	7.1	7.6	7.2	7.9	7.8	7.4	7.4	7.8	7.6
General knowledge on government operations	7.0	7.0	7.1	7.0	6.7	7.5	7.0	7.0	6.4	7.2	6.8
Delegation of authorities	7.9	7.6	8.0	7.4	7.5	7.6	7.5	7.4	7.0	7.3	7.2
Training for functional specialists	7.8	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.7	8.1	7.7	7.4	7.2	7.1	7.5
Leadership	7.9	7.9	7.9	7.9	7.6	7.7	7.8	7.9	7.5	7.8	7.8
Business skills	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.6	7.5	7.7	7.7	7.5	7.0	7.3	7.7
Mental health & wellbeing	7.5	7.1	7.3	7.4	7.1	7.9	7.7	7.5	6.7	6.9	7.2
Collaboration	6.8	7.5	6.2	7.3	7.4	7.8	7.5	7.4	6.9	7.4	7.5

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 19 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by functional area (pt 1)

Learning Area	Functional Area
Learning Area	CCC	HC Pract.	Fed. Reg.	Compliance	Comms	ATIP	Security	Science and Tech	Library	Legal	Admin	HR	Financial
Communication skills	8.2	7.3	7.8	7.7	8.0	8.1	7.4	7.3	7.0	7.5	7.7	7.7	7.7
Digital technology & working in a digital age	8.2	7.3	7.7	7.7	7.4	8.0	7.8	7.3	7.3	7.4	7.5	7.3	7.5
Use of data and data literacy	8.2	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.3	8.4	7.3	7.9	8.5	6.6	7.7	7.5	7.6
Product management, agile, design	8.0	7.4	7.4	7.0	7.4	7.9	7.2	7.2	7.5	6.9	7.2	7.1	7.3
Diversity, equity & inclusion	7.1	6.6	6.1	6.1	7.0	6.9	5.8	6.1	6.5	6.8	6.6	7.0	6.1
Indigenous reconciliation	7.9	7.3	6.8	6.5	6.4	7.5	6.4	7.4	7.8	7.7	7.4	7.5	7.0
General knowledge on government operations	7.1	6.0	6.4	6.1	6.4	6.9	6.2	5.7	5.7	6.3	6.5	6.3	6.6
Delegation of authorities	7.4	6.0	6.0	6.2	5.7	7.2	6.5	5.7	6.3	6.4	6.7	6.6	7.2
Training for functional specialists	7.8	6.9	6.6	6.9	6.8	7.7	7.4	6.4	7.3	6.8	7.3	7.9	7.7
Leadership	8.3	8.1	7.7	7.8	8.2	7.7	7.6	7.4	7.6	7.8	8.1	8.4	8.1
Business skills	8.2	6.7	7.0	7.3	7.4	7.9	7.4	7.1	7.4	7.1	7.5	7.4	7.8
Mental health & wellbeing	8.2	8.1	7.3	7.4	7.5	7.8	7.3	6.9	6.6	7.5	7.6	7.7	7.5
Collaboration	8.0	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.8	7.5	6.9	7.0	7.5	7.8	7.4	7.7	7.1

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Table 20 - Overall interest in more learning (mean) – by functional area (pt 2)

Learning Area	Functional Area
Learning Area	Procurement	Real property	Materiel managm’t	Info managm’t	IT	Internal Audit	Evaluation	Data Sciences	Policy	Project managm’t	Other
Communication skills	7.7	7.5	7.6	7.7	7.1	7.9	7.7	7.8	7.3	7.4	7.5
Digital technology & working in a digital age	7.6	7.1	7.1	7.9	8.1	8.3	7.5	7.6	7.6	7.1	7.8
Use of data and data literacy	7.4	7.4	7.3	8.1	8.0	8.5	7.8	7.9	8.4	7.6	7.7
Product management, agile, design	7.3	7.4	7.0	7.5	7.4	7.8	7.7	7.3	7.3	6.6	7.5
Diversity, equity & inclusion	6.1	6.2	5.8	6.5	5.8	7.3	6.8	6.5	6.2	6.6	6.5
Indigenous reconciliation	7.0	7.2	6.5	7.3	6.6	7.5	7.7	7.2	7.3	7.8	7.4
General knowledge on government operations	6.3	6.3	6.5	6.4	6.1	7.4	6.5	6.5	5.7	6.6	6.2
Delegation of authorities	7.0	6.7	6.9	6.5	6.4	7.3	6.5	6.5	6.0	6.1	6.1
Training for functional specialists	7.6	7.3	7.6	7.7	7.6	8.1	7.1	7.2	6.8	6.6	7.2
Leadership	7.9	7.7	7.5	7.8	7.5	8.0	8.1	7.8	7.6	7.9	8.0
Business skills	7.8	7.4	7.9	7.7	7.4	7.8	7.9	7.5	7.0	7.3	7.9
Mental health & wellbeing	7.4	7.2	7.4	7.4	7.0	8.1	7.8	7.6	6.8	7.0	7.2
Collaboration	6.8	7.3	6.7	7.4	7.0	8.0	7.5	7.4	6.8	7.2	7.5

*Sample size is too small to report, n=<30

Appendix C: Survey questionnaire

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for your interest in participating in this approximately 15 minute research survey. All the views and information you share with Nanos Research will be confidential and protected in accordance with Canada’s privacy laws. Thank you, in advance, for sharing your time.

Please note that you have until April 6^th at 11:59pm EST, 2023 to complete the survey.

This research project is registered with the CRIC Research Verification Service that allows you to verify its legitimacy and share your feedback. If you have feedback on this research, you can share it by going to https://canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca/rvs and using the RVS code.

Note: If you are interested in completing this questionnaire but are having difficulties with the online tool, we would be happy to provide an alternative format. Contact us at: jhenwood@nanosresearch.com.

By continuing the survey, it is understood that you have consented to participate in the study.

A. [OPEN LINK ONLY] For verification purposes only, please enter your Government of Canada email address. Email:___________________________________

Confirm email: ____________________________

SEGMENTATION – TYPE OF LEARNER

Please rate the following statements in terms of your level of agreement on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is completely disagree and 10 is completely agree [RANDOMIZE]

1. I am continually interested in learning new things

2. I prefer to learn things for a specific purpose

3. I like to read and learn about things on a variety of new topics

4. I like to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics

5. I like to learn in a group setting

6. I like to learn by myself

7. I like to learn with fixed timelines or deadlines

8. I like to set my own pace and schedule for learning

0 (completely disagree).................. 0

1.................................................... 1

2.................................................... 2

3.................................................... 3

4.................................................... 4

5 (neither agree nor disagree)........ 5

6.................................................... 6

7.................................................... 7

8.................................................... 8

9.................................................... 9

10 (completely agree).................... 10

Unsure........................................... 77

9. Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE] I am continually interested in learning new things OR I prefer to learn things for a specific purpose?

I am continually interested in learning new things................................................................................... 1

I prefer to learn things for a specific purpose................................................................................... 2

Unsure..................................................................................... ................................................................................. 77

10. Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE] I like to learn in a group setting OR I like to learn by myself?

I like to learn in a group setting................................................................................... 1

I like to learn by myself................................................................................... 2

Unsure..................................................................................... ................................................................................. 77

11. Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE] I like to learn on with fixed timelines or deadlines OR I like to set my own pace and schedule for learning?

I like to learn with fixed timelines or deadlines................................................................................... 1

I like to set my own pace and schedule for learning................................................................................... 2

Unsure..................................................................................... ................................................................................. 77

12. Which statement best describes you: [ROTATE] I like to read and learn about things on a variety of new topics OR I like to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics?

I like to read and learn about things on a variety of new topics................................................................................... 1

I like to read, learn and dig deep into specific topics................................................................................... 2

Unsure..................................................................................... ................................................................................. 77

13. Thinking of the following potential reasons why you usually participate in a professional learning activity, please rank the top three most important reasons for you, where 1 is “the most important reason,” 2 is “the second most important reason,” and 3 is “the third most important reason”. [TRACKING – Learning Eval Questionnaire][RANDOMIZE]

Rank

My supervisor requested I take the course............................................................................................. ___

To pursue my professional development ............................................................................................. ___

To prepare for a career change............................................................................................. ___

To acquire new knowledge, skills, and/or mindsets............................................................................................. ___

General interest............................................................................................. ___

To complete mandatory training............................................................................................. ___

Other (Specify)............................................................................................. ___

Unsure............................................................................................. ___

14. Thinking of the following potential outcomes you are looking to achieve from a professional learning activity, please rank the top three most important outcomes for you, where 1 is the most important outcome you are looking to achieve, 2 is the second most important outcome and 3 is the third most important outcome. [RANDOMIZE] [TRACKING – Shape Your Learning Survey – TWEAKED]

Rank

General knowledge on the subject............................................................................... ___

Concrete takeaways I can apply to my work ............................................................................... ___

Obtain resources and information for more in depth

learning on a subject............................................................................... ___

Learn new skills and competencies ............................................................................... ___

Advance in my career ............................................................................... ___

Fulfill a requirement for my job............................................................................... ___

Other (Specify)............................................................................... ___

Unsure............................................................................... ___

WHAT THEY’VE DONE AND PERCEIVED VALUE

[RANDOMIZE AREAS]

Area 1 – Communication skills

15. Have you taken or not taken any professional learning related to the following area? Communication skills (such as, but not limited to effective oral and written communications, briefings, presentations, storytelling)

Taken............................................. 1 [GO TO Q16]

Not taken....................................... 2 [SKIP TO Q19]

Unsure........................................... 77 [SKIP TO Q21]

16. [IF TAKEN] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is no value at all and 10 is a great deal of value, how much value did the professional learning on communication skills provide to you?

0 (no value at all)........................... 0

1.................................................... 1

2.................................................... 2

3.................................................... 3

4.................................................... 4

5 (moderate value)......................... 5

6.................................................... 6

7.................................................... 7

8.................................................... 8

9.................................................... 9

10 (a great deal of value)................ 10

Unsure........................................... 77

17. [IF TAKEN] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not interested in learning more and 10 is interested in learning a lot more, to what extent would you be interested in learning more about communication skills?

0 (not interested in learning more).................. 0

1...................................................................... 1

2...................................................................... 2

3...................................................................... 3

4...................................................................... 4

5 (moderate interest)....................................... 5

6...................................................................... 6

7...................................................................... 7

8...................................................................... 8

9...................................................................... 9

10 (interested in learning a lot more)............... 10

Unsure............................................................. 77

18. [IF TAKEN] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is could not apply anything and 10 is could apply a great deal, to what extent have you been able to apply the professional learning on communication skills to your job and/or career?

0 (could not apply anything)....................... 0

1................................................................. 1

2................................................................. 2

3................................................................. 3

4................................................................. 4

5 (could apply a moderate amount)............ 5

6................................................................. 6

7................................................................. 7

8................................................................. 8

9................................................................. 9

10 (could apply a great deal)....................... 10

Unsure....................................................... 77

19. [IF NOT TAKEN] On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not interested at all and 10 is very interested, how much interest would you have in taking professional learning on communication skills?

0 (not interested at all).................................... 0