Highlights of the survey, if these rather gloomy statistics can be called that, include the fact that 23 per cent of IoD member organisations have vacancies that are proving hard to fill due to a lack of skilled applicants. Among the most difficult skills to source are technical, management and leadership and customer service skills.
A total of 47 per cent of directors surveyed said some of their employees lacked the skills needed to do their job to the required level, with management and leadership skills in particular need of improvement.
Most worryingly, 58 per cent of employers said skills gaps were holding back the growth of their firms, with increased workloads for other employees the most common problem.
As we have frequently heard, the government is looking to private enterprise to create the jobs that will be lost in the public sector over the coming months so the fact that skills gaps are creating such a significant brake on growth is particularly disturbing.
The IoD says that businesses are continuing to invest in training, despite the recession, and that the government needs to tackle the issues of excessive employment regulation and an uncompetitive tax system to release additional resources for private sector staff development.
With the government’s Growth Review currently exploring ways to break down the barriers that hold back private sector growth, the skills gap looks as though it should be close to the front of the queue when it comes to action.
For more information, please visit www.glazers.co.uk
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