Skills

BOOSTING SKILLS is the route to economic recovery

Last month Amazon took the unusual step of announcing a multi-million-pound training programme to upskill staff who are looking to leave the company to explore a new career.

“The problem of skills shortages has long hampered the UK economy, leaving employers struggling to fill job vacancies and raise productivity. The workplace is rapidly becoming more digital and automated, so businesses need more people with the technical skills for these changing jobs.”

Up to 5,000 new staff will be offered training as part of Amazon’s Career Choice programme, where the company pays course fees for its employees who’ve expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of the company – something that’s designed to boost the skills and employability of British workers.

The move comes after a major new report called for a root and branch reform of the UK’s training system to help businesses access the skills they need to boost industry productivity – and help get the UK economy back on track after the COVID pandemic.

The report from the Workplace Training and Development Commission (WTDC), which was established by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Indeed, identifies solutions to a series of obstacles for employers in using the current skills system, including issues of complexity, cost and inflexibility.

It provides a series of recommendations including: • help for smaller firms to identify and invest in the skills needs of their workforce • more bite-sized, flexible learning which supports people in work to gain new skills faster • a greater say for businesses on what type of skills training is needed at the local level

• better support for people to retrain and move into higher earning roles • a renewed focus on digital skills and innovation

All of this is important in the context of the COVID pandemic, which has seen businesses lay off or furlough staff in their thousands. Those who’ve been affected have had plenty of time to mull over their options. Some have launched a new business venture; others have decided to embark on a new career.

The problem for many of those in the latter camp is that they don’t have the skills to break into their chosen line of work – a point hinted at by Jane Boardman, chair of the WTDC.

She said: “The problem of skills shortages has long hampered the UK economy, leaving employers struggling to fill job vacancies and raise productivity. The workplace is rapidly becoming more digital and automated, so businesses need more people with the technical skills for these changing jobs. But too often employers cannot access the training they need and, as a result, are spending less and less on training each year. “The impact of the pandemic has made investing in adult skills more important than ever. Employers need a more joined-up and flexible system that can respond quickly to skills needs and opportunities.

“The last year has seen the economy placed under the greatest strain it has experienced in decades and the full impact on employment and growth has yet to be seen. As businesses rebuild and respond to the challenges ahead, a more agile skills training system will be crucial.”

Steve Pinto, chief executive at Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce, says: “At the Chamber, part of our role is to help businesses get the skills they need so they can flourish, both now and in the future. We’re working with range of businesses and education providers to tackle skills gaps and identify the skills and attributes that employers need in this fast-moving landscape.”

The UK government is trying to build a more agile training system through its Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which will give every adult access to a flexible loan for higher-level education and training at university or college, useable at any point in their lives. This will build on the extensive action already underway to revolutionise the skills and training offer across the country, including the introduction of new T-level courses and access to free, job-relevant “bootcamp” courses.