Businesses’ difficulties due to the UK’s skills shortage were high on their list for prompt Government action in the run-up to last week’s General Election.
The skills shortage was said to be inhibiting SMEs’ efforts to compete in global markets, particularly in areas related to digital and new technology.
A quarterly study by the BCC (British Chambers of Commerce) published in November found that 73% of firms that attempted to take on extra workers faced recruitment difficulties in Q3, up from the 64% recorded in Q2.
The skills shortage was compounded, according to Grant Thornton, by a low take-up of the cash available to businesses from the apprenticeship levy with almost half of eligible businesses having not yet spent the money available to them for workplace training.
This week, the Evening Standard carried a letter from Andrew Harding, chief executive – management accounting, at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, urging the new Government to review national education and skills policies, in particular the apprenticeships programme in order to address the skills shortage.
Added to all this is the rate at which EU workers have been leaving the UK, with Labour Market figures published in early November revealing that there had been a 132,000 drop in the number of citizens from other European Union countries working in Britain. Later in the month, the BBC reported that EU net migration to the UK had fallen to its lowest level for 16 years.
Yesterday, the latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) report revealed that in the three months to October UK unemployment fell to its lowest level since January 1975.
So, the numbers of people available for work are rapidly shrinking due to a combination of factors, including the uncertainties over immigration policy following the UK departure from the EU, the much-publicised failure of the apprenticeship scheme and the shrinking pool of available UK citizens with the right skills available for employment.
Yesterday’s employment statistics prompted Tej Parikh, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, to argue “”With some strains now appearing in the labour market, the new Government must push ahead with its plans to revamp the UK’s skills system, while initiatives to drive up business productivity should also support stronger wage growth.
“Businesses are eager for the details behind flagship policies like the National Skills Fund and reform to the Apprenticeship Levy.”
For almost three years the Government has been so wholly focused on the Brexit issue, while pressing domestic concerns have been ignored.
Now that the General Election is over with a resulting clear Government majority, it is urgent that the skills shortage is given a high priority among the many pressing concerns of businesses.
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