Midlands employers told to invest in staff to avoid cuts

Skills development of manufacturing staff in the West
Midlands is needed if 40,000 job losses are to be avoided, claims research by
PricewaterhouseCoopers.

It predicts that a 5 per cent fall in manufacturing output
by March 2002 could lead to a 10 per cent fall in employment for the West
Midlands.

Brian Woods-Scawen, PwC’s Midlands region chairman, has
warned local manufacturing employers that improving the quality of staff will
help reduce the impact of the economic downturn.

“Employers must make sure they invest in people, as a
superior service could make all the difference. Pulling back however could make
the problem more difficult,” he said.

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“It is critical that employees are better than the competition.
Companies in the West Midlands must continue to give staff continuous
professional development and train them in communication, teamwork and all the
skills that they need. This is essential.”

By Paul Nelson