Home Brexit Half of employers say Brexit will worsen skills gap

Half of employers say Brexit will worsen skills gap

by
6th Feb 18 9:32 am

65 per cent of employers believe they will face a shortage of skilled professionals in 2018

Almost two thirds of employers (65 per cent) believe that they will be negatively impacted by skills shortages in 2018, according to a research paper entitled “Solving the UK Skills Shortage” from Robert Walters, totaljobs and Jobsite.

Perhaps most worryingly, half of employers surveyed believe the skills shortage will be exacerbated by Brexit. Due to the skills gap the country is facing, 23 per cent believe that Britain is not prepared to compete on the global stage, which will become even more important following the UK’s exit from the European Union in 2019.

David Clift, HR Director, totaljobs comments: “As we head closer towards Brexit employers will have to think differently about how they attract and retain the best talent from across the globe. For current staff, training will be key to closing any skills gaps, and giving employees the confidence that the businesses they work for can help them fulfil their career ambitions.

“When it comes to attracting staff, employers will have to look to different industries to find the transferable skills that are essential to grow. This means that there will be more opportunities for skilled candidates to use their knowledge and experience in different sectors, providing them with new challenges and opportunities in industries that they may not have considered before.

“Shortages are likely to be particularly severe at the junior and mid-management, partly due to the long-term impact of the 2008 financial crisis, when levels of graduate recruitment fell sharply.

“Employers looking to find long-term solutions to the current skills shortage should focus on engaging with and informing graduates and university students of the opportunities available in their industry.”

Leave a Comment

CLOSE AD

Sign up to our daily news alerts

[ms-form id=1]