By 2024, there will be a shortfall of 4 million skilled workers as a result of reduced learning and the skills gap, according to new research by Go1.
A staggering 11 million (28%) of Brits do not feel properly trained to do their current job, with 78 percent of adults wanting to learn new skills wherever they can.
Most (59%) would even be willing to learn in their own time if it would help them in their career.
The skills gap
A parliamentary committee report revealed that businesses are prioritising recruitment to fill the skills gap instead of offering appropriate training and further learning for the 41m working age Brits.
With adult learning at a 23-year low according to the government, the role of businesses to provide learning and development opportunities has never been greater.
In the most extreme circumstances, 11m Brits (28 percent of the workforce) don’t feel they have been trained well enough to do the job they currently have, suggesting a stark skills gap lurking in plain sight for companies.
What are the benefits of offering training?
“On-the-job training is one of the most important aspects of any employment, not least for the output but also for the wellbeing that it provides employees,” said Chris Eigeland, CRO and Co-founder of Go1.
“This study shows that Brits are crying out to be upskilled but too many businesses are overlooking this need in favour of recruitment rather than prioritising retention. With such a wealth of educational content available online and in person, there really is no better time to focus energy as an employer on empowering, upskilling and rewarding loyal employees by giving them the crucial training they so clearly want.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
Thank you for a very comprehensive coverage of the skills gap at a time when a new government is just coming in. What we need to ensure is that appropriate policies and strategies are put in place to upgrade our ‘campaign’ as employers try to retain staff. This is also a time when competition will get stiffer for the few jobs that may become available.
How can we make sure that our core messages are heard by the policy makers at the right time? Articles such as the above and the entire programme of HReview are the right vehicles at the right time. How can we ensure that policymakers recognise the realities according to which they allocate future funding and resources?