Putting
businesses at the heart of the
great skills turnaround
T e challenges local businesses face are not just down to Ukraine, Brexit and infl ation – they’re down to a skills shortage that, according to the Government’s own fi gures, extends across some 30 domains. In one industry alone – construction – the shortage has recently been reported as
‘alarming’, with 75% of contractors experiencing issues recruiting skilled operatives. Digital and data skills paint an even bleaker picture. Again, according to the
Government, 11.3 million people (21% of the UK population) lack full basic digital skills (independent research suggests these fi gures are actually much higher). Scarily, 5.4 million working adults have no form of basic digital skills at all. And whilst some of the skills shortage in specifi c industries can be attributed to
pandemic-triggered job-hopping, overall there’s a much deeper supply-side worry here: namely, that the training framework that exists is failing to train people in skills that local businesses genuinely require. T ere is a genuine will on the part of Further Education (FE) and Higher
Education (HE) colleges to engage and evolve, but they are restricted by the system. What is to be done?
LSIP – what it is and why it’s good for business More dialogue is obviously needed between education providers and businesses in the localities they serve – and at Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) we’re rolling out makes this progress possible. T e Great Skills Turnaround starts here! LSIP is a Government-led scheme to give employers a stronger voice in articulating the skills need to FE providers, and to ensure changes are made that
ALL THINGS BUSINESS | 10
RECRUITMENT & TRAINING
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