The country’s training system needs a “root and branch reform” to help businesses attract skilled workers and boost productivity, a new report is urging.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said its research over the past 18 months, involving hundreds of companies, colleges, universities and training providers, had revealed a series of “obstacles” for employers in using the current system.
The report recommended more help for smaller firms, better flexible learning for people in work, and a greater say for businesses on what skills training is needed.
Jane Boardman, who chaired a commission set up by the BCC, said: “The problem of skills shortages has long hampered the UK economy, leaving employers struggling to fill job vacancies and raise productivity.
1 March 2021 • 12:01am
A hairdresser at work in Vienna, but April 12 is the earliest salons may open in England
Credit: LISI NIESNER/REUTERS
SIR – We are concerned that the fiscal impact of the Government’s lockdown measures on women is being overlooked.
The virus has taken its toll on a great many people in Britain, but a significant number of female employers, entrepreneurs and employees are being affected – and the damage could take decades to repair.
More women than men work in sectors that have shut down. Mothers are almost 50 per cent more likely than fathers to have lost their jobs or been forced to leave because school closures have created a childcare crisis.