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UK Skills Shortage

Dated: 02 Nov, 2016

An increasing number of UK employers are worried that they will not be able recruit enough high-skilled employees, according to an annual CBI survey. (Source BBC news & CBI Surveys)

A CBI survey of 500 employers found 69% were concerned about not being able to find enough highly-skilled staff, compared with 55% last year.  The report showed that demand for low-skilled workers would continue to fall.  The survey says this could become even more difficult after the decision to leave the European Union.  "Not only will we have our existing UK skills shortages to address, but potentially reduced access to migrant skills will also impact businesses," says the CBI's report on the survey results… 

The CBI's education and skills survey examines the recruitment needs of firms employing more than three million staff between them.  The results show a changing jobs market and highlights problems with basic skills, with the survey showing almost a third of businesses had concerns about the literacy and numeracy levels of their new recruits; however employers were more likely to rate "attitude to work" as more important than formal qualifications.  Rod Bristow, president of Pearson UK, and co-sponsor of the survey, said: "Employers don't just value what people know; they value what they can do. By far the most important 'skills factor' centres on attitudes and aptitudes such as ability to present well."

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