Skills Gap Widens- Shortfall of 4 Million Skilled Workers Estimated

By 2024, there will be a shortfall of 4 million skilled workers as a result of reduced learning and the skills gap, according to new research.

A staggering 11 million (28%) of Brits do not feel properly trained to do their current job, with 78 percent of adults wanting to learn new skills wherever they can.

The skills gap

A parliamentary committee report revealed that businesses are prioritising recruitment to fill the skills gap instead of offering appropriate training and further learning for the 41m working age Brits.

With adult learning at a 23-year low according to the government, the role of businesses to provide learning and development opportunities has never been greater.

In the most extreme circumstances, 11m Brits (28 percent of the workforce) don’t feel they have been trained well enough to do the job they currently have, suggesting a stark skills gap lurking in plain sight for companies.

What are the benefits of offering training?

On-the-job training is one of the most important aspects of any employment, not least for the output but also for the wellbeing that it provides employees.

This study shows that Brits are crying out to be upskilled but too many businesses are overlooking this need in favour of recruitment rather than prioritising retention. With such a wealth of educational content available online and in person, there really is no better time to focus energy as an employer on empowering, upskilling and rewarding loyal employees by giving them the crucial training they so clearly want.