Calling All Employers: Do You Have The Right People?
The recession is over and the economy is picking up as businesses, once again, create jobs and grow. It’s all good news except that some businesses are finding it difficult to get the people they want with the skills they need. Surprisingly, it is a trend that is expected to grow; so what is going on and how can we fix it?
The development of government policy in relation to education and training traditionally addressed the issue of skills but even though a range of initiatives is in place the gap is increasing.
The difficulty appears to be in the length of time it takes to develop and deliver effective policy solutions given the current rapid pace of technological and business change.
There may, however, be another way if businesses play a greater role and take more responsibility in finding and training the staff they want with the skills they need.
Traditionally, there are two main ways for people to get skilled: employer training and general education.
In the past, many employers trained staff as it was a relatively easy process and didn’t require a big time commitment or financial investment.
Government, however, has championed university and college education to a much wider audience in recent decades, as a way for young people to get a job and start a career.
Looking to the future, the development of more apprenticeship programmes and greater engagement from businesses is necessary to bridge the jobs gap.
Luckily, government is increasing the number of apprenticeships and employers are beginning to take more responsibility for developing the people they need.
Apprenticeship programmes benefit participants as they are paid while training and have the opportunity of a long-term career with an employer they know and who knows them.
Employers benefit because of reduced costs, better performance, industry training, and the opportunity to develop a reliable process for future recruitment and retention of employees.
Apprenticeship programmes also provide employees and employers with an opportunity to see how good a fit there is between what the person wants and what the company provides.
Regardless of the effect of additional apprenticeship places, government, education and employers need to address the skills gap, because if left unattended it will stifle business growth and damage the lives of many people.
SO, the skills shortage is one of the biggest challenges facing the economy and businesses need to take more responsibility and play a greater role in finding a solution.
What do you think?
Do you have the right people?
Look forward to your comments.
