Skills
shortages remained widespread last year despite the economic shockwaves created
by 11 September.
A
Department of Education and Skills survey, of more than 4,000 employers, shows
that four in every 10 vacancies are difficult to fill.
In
a fifth of cases the main difficulty has been finding people with the right
skills. This is most acute among teachers and other professional staff, nurses
and skilled construction trades. Construction
has double the national average number of skills shortage vacancies.
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The
research project forms the third in a series of government-funded
investigations into employers’ skills difficulties. It reveals that the problem
has worsened since the previous year’s study – despite the economic downturn
that began in early 2001. www.idfes.gov.uk
