Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
How can we reduce the skills gap and increase diversity in talent recruitment?
Justin Richardson CEO
Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
The skills gap is a term regularly voiced throughout the world of business and commerce, but without ever truly being addressed. Rapid technological advances, when twinned with other external variables such as a global pandemic, have led to a fi ssure opening up between the skills of the workforce available to employers, and the skills those employers now need. How do we bridge that gap, though, and how can we encourage a greater wealth of diversity within talent recruitment, particularly for small businesses and SMEs?
Narrowing the skills gap According to a recent report by McKinsey Accelerate, a staggering 87% of businesses expect to see skills gaps open up within their organisation over the next few years. Clearly, then, something needs doing. For small businesses and SMEs to successfully narrow the skills gap, moving forward, several things are required.
32 ALL THINGS BUSINESS
Firstly, it’s important for businesses to look at
their existing workforce and see if improvements can be cultivated therein. Off ering digital training and more flexible, fluid career pathways are both ways in which an iterative, ongoing training culture can be developed within small companies and SMEs. Flexible working is a key way to not only attract
new talent, but to ensure good people are retained within a business. With many employees having worked remotely during the pandemic, more and more companies are off ering fl exible and dynamic working arrangements to suit the lifestyles of their employees – whilst ensuring business productivity remains high. T is can be in the form of fl exible hours, working from home options or even the option to buy and sell holidays. These flexible benefi ts packages allow employees to choose the benefi ts that best suit their individual needs and it is increasingly becoming the norm for many businesses across the UK.
Another solution lies in further education, and
specifically, creating more seamless, integrated pathways from education into employment. Traditionally, education was solely academically focused, then more vocational opportunities such as apprenticeships were introduced to fill the physical skills shortage – mechanics, plumbers, carpenters, and so on. Now, though, in this modern age, we’re met with the need for more technological and analytical skills.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
