Upskilling workforce

Source: NCFE
By Natasha Bougourd, Communications Assistant at NCFE

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is encouraging businesses across the UK to invest in workplace training after their Workforce Survey 2014 highlighted that 92% of businesses acknowledged a skills gap in at least one critical area of the organisation.

The most common skill shortages include leadership and management, organisation and planning, and computer literacy. By upskilling staff in these key areas, organisations can make their workforce more efficient and productive.

Business owners stressed a number of key factors that prevented them from upskilling their employees, including financial expense and the busy schedules of their staff.

The BCC believe on-the-job training is crucial to the performance of a business and its employees and, ultimately, economic growth. It’s clear that business owners are in agreement, with 78% supporting the BCC’s statement that staff training offers a number of benefits to their organisation and the economy, and 80% planning to invest on training their staff in the next year.

It’s clear that vocational education is high on the agenda for these businesses, with owners seeking advice and training primarily from Private Training Providers (71%) and Further Education Colleges (35%).