Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Economics, government & businessLatest NewsLabour marketSkills shortages

Employers say job applicants ‘lack basic skills’

by Nick Martindale 14 Oct 2011
by Nick Martindale 14 Oct 2011

Almost half of employers say they are finding it hard to hire suitable candidates for vacancies, despite unemployment standing at its highest level since 1994.

Research carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which surveyed 6,000 businesses, found that 45% find it “very” or “quite” difficult to fill vacancies, with many claiming that candidates lack basic skills such as literacy, numeracy, timekeeping and communication.

The report, entitled “Skills for business: more to learn?”, suggests that employers are far from confident when recruiting across all roles. Fewer than half (45%) said they were either “very” or “fairly” confident when recruiting graduates. This falls to 29% for school leavers with A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

Just one firm in five (20%) is convinced about the employability of former public sector staff and only 10% of respondents said that they are confident about taking on someone who has been out of work for more than six months.

The BCC has called for the UK’s education system to better equip young people with the skills needed to enter the world of work, including elements such as communication, timeliness and professionalism.

John Longworth, director general of the BCC, said: “People are at the heart of every successful business. Developing the capability of our workforce is crucial for individual companies as well as the UK’s economic competitiveness.

“UK companies continue to invest in their workforce, and they still want to take on staff and expand despite a difficult economic climate,” he added. “However, many firms looking to recruit are stymied by the poor skills available within the local labour pool.”

The survey also reveals that two-thirds of businesses belonging to the BCC already engage with schools, colleges and universities in a bid to help develop the skills needed to enter the workplace.

The BCC research also found that the vast majority (82%) of businesses that took on apprentices found them beneficial in developing talent, but only 20% took on an apprentice last year and just 15% intend to do so over the next 12 months.

“The quality level of many apprenticeships is not high enough, and too few businesses see them as relevant to their sector,” said Longworth. “More must be done to put apprenticeships at the heart of workplace-based training and future economic growth.”

Avatar
Nick Martindale

previous post
Employers leaving themselves exposed to social media risks
next post
Octo Technology selects Cezanne OnDemand’s online HR Software to manage their human resources

You may also like

Employment law changes for 2022 and beyond: update...

1 Jul 2022

BT workers vote for strike action over pay

1 Jul 2022

Chief financial officers now more involved in HR

1 Jul 2022

Top 10 HR questions June 2022: Former employees

1 Jul 2022

Pay all care workers a £10.50 hourly minimum...

30 Jun 2022

Royal Mail managers vote to strike over restructure

30 Jun 2022

Give wellbeing a board seat: Prof Sir Cary...

30 Jun 2022

One in five workplaces lack LGBT support policies

30 Jun 2022

Christian doctor loses transgender pronoun case, but beliefs...

29 Jun 2022

New chief workforce officer at NHS England

29 Jun 2022
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+