A recent Department of Education study revealed that 90% of English businesses struggle to find suitably skilled workers, particularly in entry-level positions, which account for 32% of skills gaps. A case study of Specsavers cited a significant shortage in both technical and soft skills. Alarmingly, there has been a drop in businesses offering training schemes, with costs cited as a primary barrier. However, Specsavers has successfully trained 650 to 750 apprentices annually, achieving a qualification rate above average. Baroness Smith emphasized the necessity of government and industry collaboration to meet future workforce demands in emerging fields like AI and construction.
Nine out of ten English businesses are grappling with a lack of suitably skilled workers, especially in entry-level positions that pose the biggest challenge.
Despite a high demand for skilled workers, there has been a decline in the number of businesses offering apprenticeship programs and other training schemes.
Wyatt highlighted that Specsavers' training programs, including apprenticeships, have resulted in a 60 percent qualification achievement rate, which is above the national average.
Baroness Smith underscored the importance of government and industry collaboration to address the skills needs for the future workforce across various sectors.
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