The UK government’s Industrial Strategy Council has startlingly predicted that the UK will be facing widespread skills shortages across the economy by 2030. This could cause around 20 per cent of the labour market to not have the necessary skills for their jobs.
And that presents a massive challenge for HR teams across the country.
With that in mind, we’ve examined a few things employers can do to help close this gap.
Recognise the value of continuous professional development
Appreciating the value that learning and professional development provides to employees and employers is key when it comes to tackling the skills gap.
As well as improving the confidence and motivation of employees, professional development can also improve productivity, business efficiency and employee retention, saving employers money in the long term.
Identify and nurture employees with potential
Taking a long-term outlook towards skills development is a good approach to meet the challenge of the skills gap.
By identifying employees who show great potential, businesses can start to significantly upskill their workforce and get a head start on remedying the skills gap. Ask management teams to pay attention to which skills employees show an aptitude in, and encourage them to develop them.
Build a workplace learning culture
All of these measures are pretty useless unless you develop a culture of learning in your company that values knowledge and encourages continuous training.
Develop a company learning strategy, try to get buy-in from senior management and nurture the skills of your employees.
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