Findings from the consultation process and feedback from Employers

In developing its LMP Action Plan for 2022/23, MEA has been keen to ensure extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders able to offer useful opinion and perspective on the employability, skills and labour market priorities and needs in the MEA area.

In the course of developing the 2022/23 Action Plan, the original consultation plan to engage at least 15 key stakeholders was expanded to include over 18 stakeholder groups and in excess of 50 senior business and community leaders to ensure the LMP Action Planning process secured input from a broad range of perspectives from relevant parties with an interest in the labour market and employability issues in the MEA region. Figure 4 below summarises the stakeholder groups involved.

Figure 4: LMP stakeholder consultation groups

Feedback from Employers

Effective engagement with MEA’s manufacturing sector was achieved through consultation with the MEA Manufacturing Task Force (MTF) Skills Sub-Group, along with direct engagement with a number of manufacturing businesses based in MEA.

From these discussions it was clear there are a high level of unfilled vacancies in the manufacturing sector, with skills gaps and recruitment issues at all levels across the sector. In a round-table poll conducted by the MTF skills subgroup in December 2021, 75% of attendees considered attracting skills and talent to be a top priority for business recovery in 2022, with several businesses identifying the need for improved female representation in the sector.

Manufacturers also referenced ongoing challenges in supply chain and logistics sector, and whilst some of the larger road haulage companies have a level of increased success from their ability to offer internal training and development, many of the Small and Medium (SME) Business operators in the region continue to experience difficulty in sourcing qualified drivers, forklift operators and senior supply chain roles.

A similar high level of demand for people and skills exists in MEA’s Health and Social Care sector, and it was noted at the time of researching this report that over 53% of

MEA job vacancies listed on www.jobcentreonline.com related to care work, reflecting a sector under significant pressure as a result of Covid-19.

Discussions with business leaders in the Tourism and Hospitality sector confirmed difficulties in recruiting staff. Confidence in the sector is very low as a consequence of job security issues arising from Covid lock-down restrictions that have impacted this sector in particular, and business leaders are concerned the sector will be unable to increase staffing levels as business volumes begin to ramp up in the post- Covid recovery period.

In general, employers expressed a recognition that in the context of low unemployment and an increasing demand for resource:

• Investment will be needed in new and emerging digital manufacturing skills to improve productivity and efficiency;

• Flexibility will be needed to reduce barriers to employment, particularly for potential employees who have been previously economically inactive as a consequence of personal circumstances that constrain their ability to engage in traditional work patterns (e.g. caring responsibilities, health concerns and disabilities);

• Hybrid working models are anticipated to be retained/further developed within the ‘new normal’ labour environment and positions that offer job seekers flexibility are likely to be seen as more attractive. Improved digital skills will be important to support the opportunities that increased remote working might bring;

• In many sectors, greater female participation is needed to improve diversity and gender balance.

Employers reference a historically low level of engagement with Jobs and Benefits Offices (JBO) and acknowledge that Covid-19 restrictions have significantly impeded JBO work coach interaction with industry. In this context the MEA LMP is seen as a significant opportunity to improve collaboration across the supply chain.

Employers consider they are ill-informed in respect of the current employability schemes that exist to support employers and participants in their journey towards improved employment outcomes. On several occasions during stakeholder engagement workshops, employer participants (who consider themselves to be well- engaged in employability matters) expressed surprise at new information learned simply through the consultation exercise. This endorses the value the LMP approach will bring, and demonstrates a need for improved communication and promotion of existing employability schemes.

Employers also cite they have difficulty in understanding the make-up of the economically inactive and consider there is a need for further research to understand the skills, aspirations and challenges faced by key cohorts of MEA’s economically inactive if tailored solutions are to be developed that promote and support access to employment.