Abstract:

This paper explores the subject of workforce education, training and skill development, drawing attention to the essential role of managing human resources through skill enhancement. It underscores how this approach is pivotal for fostering enterprise innovation and maintaining a competitive market position. The paper also delves into the impact of external influences on employee skill demand, highlighting the continuous need for employee development. Moreover, the study presents research findings aimed at determining whether significant differences exist in the demand for distinct skill types between companies actively practicing training and development (T&D) and those that do so only occasionally or not at all. The research encompassed a sample of 135 companies operating in Slovakia, focusing on cognitive, communication, digital, and social skills. The research outcomes are juxtaposed with the OECD's "Skills for Job" data for Slovakia. The study utilized the Mann Whitney U test to assess four statistical hypotheses, confirming two hypotheses relating to cognitive and digital skills. Intriguingly, the research suggests that companies implementing T&D approaches tend to exhibit reduced external demand for digital and cognitive skills.