Half of employers fear they will not be able to find enough highly skilled workers as the economy recovers, CBI research has found.
A survey of 700 businesses by the employers’ group found demand for highly skilled workers will increase with the recovery, but there is a fear the right graduates will not be available to employers.
One-third of businesses were concerned about obtaining people with suitable A-levels.
Nearly half of employers said they were already struggling to recruit staff with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths. Manufacturers and science-related businesses were finding it hardest to locate the right staff, the BBC has reported.
The CBI’s report, Ready to Grow: business priorities for education and skills, also predicted that as demand for qualified people rose, those without skills would be less in demand.
Richard Lambert, the CBI’s director-general, said: “In the future, people with qualifications in science and maths will be particularly sought after, and firms say it is already hard to find people with the right technical or engineering skills.
“The new government must make encouraging more young people to study science-related subjects a top priority.”
In total, 42% of bosses said young jobseekers should study business studies to ensure they secured a job, while 21% thought maths was best for career prospects and 13% said English.
Psychology and sociology were at the bottom of the list of requirements.
