Ask for help if you are struggling to recruit, Warwickshire firms told

Businesses in mid-Warwickshire have been urged ask for support if they are unable to find people with the right skills to help them grow.

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce held its mid-Warwickshire branch meeting at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth and a range of topics were discussed.

The event was chaired by Chamber president Tom Mongan and heard how businesses across the area are faring in the current climate.

Skills remains a key issue for many and the meeting heard from Heather Docksey, of Warwickshire County Council, who explained how Warwickshire Skills Hub can support businesses in their search for staff.

Tom Mongan said firms should ask for help if they are unable to fill roles that will support their growth.

He said: “We were extremely grateful to Heather for joining us at the branch meeting and it was great to hear that there is some incredible support on offer.

another which mirrors a care home or small residential flat.

The hospital ward features two adult beds and a child’s bed, with one area looking more like a paediatric ward. It includes a seating area for students, flexible study space, mannequins, and a hoist and pull chord to give the students a realistic experience of the hospital environment.

The second room includes a kitchen area, lounge area, dining area, shower and toilet to replicate a care home or small residential flat setting.

While the health room at Rugby College is a new hybrid-suite, combining the hospital and care home training suites in one room, enabling training on working in both environments in one compact space.

The funding has also enabled WCG to invest in a new virtual Metaverse learning platform, which will allow students to navigate around a virtual hospital ward. The college is also planning to use the virtual learning environment in marketing to potential students.

Tracy Gibson, Head of Department for Health and Social Care at Rugby College, said: “Having these care suites across two of our colleges in Warwickshire enables us to give students a more realistic idea of what they will face when they are out in employment.

“The care suites replicate the environments they will experience after leaving the college or heading out on work placement.

“We are looking to offer training to upskill existing workers in the care sector too at this facility and provide adult-learning courses for those people.”

To find out more about studying health and care courses at WCG visit www.wcg.ac.uk/study

“I’d urge businesses who want to grow – but can’t find the right people – to speak up and ask for help.

“They can talk to the team at the Chamber if they need advice and, also, see how the Warwickshire Skills Hub can support them as they offer a very wideranging service.

“It’s great that they are looking at different ways to help solve the skills crisis but also looking at how they can support people who may have barriers to employment find work.”

The meeting also discussed more longterm solutions for the skills issue.

Tom added: “There were lots of views on skills and how we train and equip people for the future of the workplace.

“The Chamber has done some great work on the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and, with this being given the green light recently, it could be the first step on the way to solving an issue that has been around for many, many years.”