Business First Issue2 Vol5 CH3:Layout 1 23/10/2009 15:57 Page 24
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Skills research
Northern Ireland not being
hit by skills shortage says
Vodafone research
N
ew Vodafone UK Working Nation research reveals majority (66 per cent) are either reducing or stopping
that, although overall UK companies are suffering investment in skills development & training.
from a skills gap brought on by headcount losses As a result, one in five businesses say they now have a
and shrinking training budgets, Northern Ireland gap between the skills they have in the workforce and the
companies are not suffering in the same way. skills they need to survive and succeed. Despite this
While 19 per cent of all those surveyed throughout the awareness there is a danger that some businesses are not
UK say they have suffered some kind of skills gap, 100 per taking action to resolve the issue because they feel that
cent of the companies in Northern Ireland that took part their competition is in the same situation as them - 58 per
in the survey said that they had not suffered a shortage of cent of businesses say they do not feel at any real
skills. disadvantage (or advantage) compared to the market or
Twelve per cent of those who had suffered in this way the competition for when the economy recovers.
said they had had to learn some new skills to cover for
departed colleagues with female workers twice as likely The full report and related video and blog content are
as their male colleagues to say they have had to cover available at the Working Nation website:
gaps by learning ‘many’ new skills (one in ten compared www.workingnation.co.uk.
to one in twenty men).
The skills gap is also taking its toll on younger workers.
While a third of workers overall say that having to learn
About Working Nation
new skills has increased their stress levels at work, the Vodafone Working Nation is a major ongoing study
figure peaks at 36 per cent among 16-24 year olds created by Vodafone UK to chronicle the attitudes and
enduring their first significant slowdown, compared to 29 trends that shape the United Kingdom at work. The series
per cent of those aged 55 and over. is used by Vodafone UK to examine its own working
Overall, 80 per cent of workers who have had to learn practices, help develop new products and services and to
new skills say they have not had sufficient training. Again create a better understanding of the modern
it is the younger workers that feel the most vulnerable; 50 management and workplace issues impacting its
per cent of 16-24 year olds say that they have had no new customers day-to-day and in the future. The eighth
training at all to help them learn new skills, compared to Vodafone Working Nation ‘Skills of Work‘ report and all
20 per cent of 25-34 year olds and 25 per cent of those previous reports are available from
between 35 and 44. www.workingnation.co.uk. For hard copies, requests
New skills include softer skills for coping in tough
should be emailed to vodafone@harvard.co.uk.
economic times, where growth is limited but a workforce Research for The Skills of Work, the eighth Vodafone
needs to be motivated. Gary Browning of Penna Plc, a Working Nation report, was carried out via a survey of
global HR consulting group, says, “Leaders need a new set 1700 individuals currently at work in the UK. The first
of skills. The tough single minded focus of previous years component of the research focused on 700 employers
needs to be balanced with humility, respect and an ability (senior management, directors and business owners)
to be visionary in adversity. It’s a tough call for any leader while the second component focused on 1000
but these softer skills need to be learned by many.” employees (non-management) to deliver a 360 degree
Pauline Quigley, head of Vodafone Northern Ireland,
view of the working nation.
commented, “Organisations of all sizes in all sectors are The results of the research are presented in the report
either considering or have already had to make difficult alongside essays from independent contributors
decisions regarding their people. This research is a very providing constructive advice for companies seeking a
important piece of work in that it investigates how way forward.
reorganisations of workforces are impacting the skills • Tony Manwaring, chief executive of not-for-profit
base; what makes the difference between surviving and agenda-setting organisation Tomorrow’s Company, talks
succeeding; and what advice can be given in managing about the need for organisations to reassess how they
costs without destroying old and new skills. This Working balance their requirements for ‘talent’ and ‘skills’ in a
Nation report offers valuable insights into these areas. changing landscape.
”One of the most interesting parts of the report, from a • Gary Browning, chief executive of Penna Plc, a global
Northern Ireland point of view, is that companies here HR consulting group, argues that UK businesses need to
seem not to have suffered a skills shortage in the same start thinking of skills more in terms of quality over
was as their counterparts in Britain. Hopefully, this is a quantity.
good sign and one that augurs well for economic
• David Fox, chairman and chief executive of Midlands-
recovery here.”
based manufacturer Power Panels Electrical Systems,
The report also uncovers the human impact that the relates how investment in skills has helped his business to
current skills deficit is having on the workforce as well as beat the recession and triple its profits.
the views of managers trying to defend their skills base in
the face of recession. Thirty-seven per cent of employers
say that they have had to make headcount reductions in
The full report, additional comment from experts in the
the past 12 months. And while 34 per cent of businesses
field and related video and blog content are available at
say they are continuing to invest in skills unabated, the
the Working Nation website: www.workingnation.co.uk
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