Recession reduces skills shortages, but experts warn against complacency

Citation

(2010), "Recession reduces skills shortages, but experts warn against complacency", Education + Training, Vol. 52 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2010.00452dab.006

Recession reduces skills shortages, but experts warn against complacency

Article Type: Research news From: Education + Training, Volume 52, Issue 4

Research recently published reveals that most employers are happy with the calibre of their employees, with some 93 per cent of the UK workforce thought to be proficient at their jobs. However, experts warned against complacency, saying that employers would need to expect more from, and invest more, in their staff in order to remain globally competitive as the fragile economy emerges from recession. The National Employer Skills Survey for England, published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, questioned 79,152 employers at the height of last year’s recession. It found that:

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  12 per cent of establishments had job vacancies – down from 18 per cent in 2007;

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  3 per cent of employers had vacancies which they could not fill because they could not find candidates with suitable skills, qualifications or experience – down from 5 per cent in 2007;

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  the percentage of employers providing training has stayed stable at roughly two-thirds, although they are training fewer people;

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  56 per cent of the workforce had received some training in the previous 12 months, down from 63 per cent in 2007. However, employers are spending slightly more on training per person than they previously did, with an average investment of £3,050 per person in 2009, compared with £2,775 in 2007.

This Evidence Report presents the key findings from the National Employer Skills Survey for England 2009 (NESS09), the newest edition of a time series of surveys that was established by the Learning and Skills Council in 2003. Analysis is carried out by size of organisation; sector, defined by both Standard Industrial Classification and Sector Skills Council footprint; and English region.

The full report can be downloaded from: www.ukces.org.uk/tags/report/national-employer-skills-survey-for-england-2009-key-findings-report