Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
Shaping the future workforce
Justin Richardson CEO
Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
Workplaces are forever changing. Not merely due to changing customer requirements but also through regulation, technology and automation. We are in a changing world and the COVID pandemic over the past 18 months has forced businesses to revisit their operations and commit to change. But even before the pandemic, developing the workforce was proving problematic. Three in four employers are experiencing
recruitment diffi culties, changes to immigration policies following Brexit have presented further barriers, and the evident skills shortage seen across sectors is forcing companies to look at diff erent ways to fi ll the skills gap. Whilst training and up- skilling existing employees is an obvious and eff ective solution, it can only go some of the way, and more practical solutions need to be identifi ed and implemented.
Skill obsolescence remains a long-term risk Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce has over 750 members, representing in excess of 60,000 employees across all sectors in the county. Its remit to enable growth locally, regionally and nationally means that workforce development is high on the agenda. Indeed, this has been a focus for the Chamber network, who last year, as part of its People Campaign, held an inquiry into the barriers and opportunities for investment in training and development for adults over 25 from all skill levels. Commenting on the progress report published in September 2020,
British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Co-Executive Director, Hannah Essex, said: “Employers understand the importance of developing the skills of adults in the workplace to ensure they are eff ective in their role and contribute to the success of the business. But we need greater fl exibility in the skills system - with the right balance of formal qualifi cations, bite-sized training - and more agile delivery.” T is echoes the fi ndings of a landmark skills training report, which called
for a major reboot of the UK’s training system to help businesses access the skills they need to boost productivity. T e report from the Workplace Training and Development Commission (WTDC), set up by the BCC, saw hundreds of companies from a wide range of sectors come together to identify solutions to a series of obstacles for employers in using the current skills system – including complexity, cost and infl exibility. T e report highlighted the need for improved trust and co-operation
between all the parties involved in skills and training provision, especially at a local level, as well as help for smaller fi rms to invest in the skills needs of their workforce, more bite-sized fl exible learning to allow people in work to gain new skills faster and a renewed focus on digital skills and innovation. Jane Boardman, Chair of the Commission, said: “T e problem of
skills shortages has long hampered the UK economy, leaving employers struggling to fi ll job vacancies and raise productivity. T e workplace is rapidly becoming more digital and automated, so businesses need
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