Employers call for action on skill shortage

Tuesday, 15 February 2005 12:00 AM

Employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find staff with the right skills, a new survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has found.

A poll of 6,000 companies revealed that 43 per cent of UK firms had experienced difficulties in employing suitable staff, compared to 29 per cent in 1994 - a rise of nearly 50 per cent over the past ten years.

BCC director general David Frost said employers were increasingly "frustrated" that workers, and in particular young people, lacked the appropriate industry skills.

"The system is simply not providing potential employees with the right skills for business and our figures show it has been failing for many years," he said.

Mr Frost also warned that the lack of skills among UK workers could undermine the country's ability to compete in the global market.

"The Government must implement lasting reform in its proposals next week or our competitive edge could be seriously harmed. Businesses cannot wait any longer," he added.

The Government will be hoping that its forthcoming plans to revamp secondary education, including vocational training, will help lessen the long-term shortage of skills.

But, Tim Collins, Shadow Education Secretary, said that only the Conservatives could tackle the problem.

He claimed that 40,000 young people leave school without a single GCSE and literacy and numeracy problems are growing. Sharply criticising the Government, he said: "Ministers' preoccupation with getting 50 per cent of young people into university is clearly not going to address the problem of building a high quality vocational alternative in the labour market.

"Instead, the next Conservative government will enable a significant number of 14-16 year olds to get the training needed for a future career by allowing them to begin work on skills training outside the conventional classroom environment."

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