Skills ‘potholes’ need to be filled in economy

Parts of the UK economy have developed skills “potholes”, with deep and persistent skills gaps damaging business performance in key areas and sectors, new research shows.

The Skills Survey 2011, produced by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, is the first UK-wide employer skills survey. Over 85,000 employers across the UK were interviewed as part of the survey.

The research found wide variations in the provision of training by both sector and geography, with more than eight out of 10 employers in Halton, Cheshire, providing training compared with fewer than half of employers in some inner London boroughs.

Other key survey findings were that one in three vacancies for trades like electricians, plumbers and chefs are hard to fill because of skill shortages among applicants (double the average figure for the entire economy).

Factory workers and bar staff were among the least likely to be trained, with less than half (48%) of people in semi-skilled roles having received training in the past year. Many of these are in parts of the economy that are competing with overseas business or are the first port of call for a customer.

Managers are the surprise losers, with less than half of employers (45%) providing any management training.

Meanwhile, childminders, care assistants and nurses are among the professions most likely to receive training. Around seven in 10 employees in so-called personal service industries received training in the past year.

www.ukces.org.uk/news/Press-releases/2012/May/ukess

www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/ukces-employer-skills-survey-11.pdf