Apprenticeships could help to tackle UK skills gaps, study shows

Research from City & Guilds Group and Emsi has shown that apprenticeships could be the key to tackling skills gaps in the UK.

The study, entitled “People Power”, surveyed more than 1,000 UK C-Suite employers and found that more than 35% are mostly planning to recruit apprentices in the next three-to-five years, while 38% plan to use an apprenticeship programme to attract candidates.

Support

The study also showed that 45% of C-Suite employers want more support from the government, while a further 45% want support from the UK’s education system. Respondents also recognise the need to take more responsibility for skills development themselves, with this being cited by 45%.

The importance of tackling skills gaps was highlighted in the study, with 47% of employers citing this issue as the most likely to have an impact on productivity in the future.

The research also identified the areas in which skills gaps are the most prominent, with 47% of respondents citing managers and leaders as the job levels that they struggle with the most when it comes to recruitment.

Salaries look set to rise, with more than 95% of C-Suite employers stating that they intend to increase wages over the next three-to-five years.

Loyalty

Commenting on the study, City & Guilds Group’s Managing Director Kirstie Donnelly stated that more than a quarter of employers are planning to prepare for Brexit by upskilling their current workforce, but she believes that more should be considering this route.

She added that by providing high-quality training on the job, employers not only secure the skilled workforce that they need but can also improve productivity and increase staff loyalty, retention and engagement.