23rd July 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
The skills shortage is no new phenomenon; the UK already struggles to supply enough skilled workers, particularly in STEM subjects, and demand is ever increasing at a time when a record number of skilled staff are set to retire. According to a recent Confederation of British Industry report, at least 60% of future jobs in the next decade will require STEM skills and we will need to train 1.82 million engineers and technicians by 2022 to replace retirees and fill new jobs.
This week a Confederation of British Industry study revealed that the number of major employers concerned with the availability of high-skilled employees has increased by a staggering 25% from this time last year. One of the main factors in such a dramatic change is the decision to leave the European Union, meaning that on top of the growing domestic skills deficit, there will be reduced access to migrant labour which is currently filling the shortfall in supply. On top of this, the number of teenagers deciding to pursue University education declined by 1.4% for the last academic year, as more students are debating the value of a much more expensive undergraduate degree.
The skills shortage in the UK is a chronic issue. Not only does demand for qualified individuals exceed supply, but those with the desired qualifications are falling short of employers’ expectations. Employers are more and more worried about the basic level of literacy and numeracy within supposedly ‘high-skilled’ professionals, stating that schools and universities are failing to prepare young professionals adequately for the workforce. The UK’s teenage literacy is one of the lowest of the OECD countries and is projected to fall even further by 2020. Yet, an employee’s “attitude to work” was rated more important and desirable than formal qualifications.
While businesses need more and more high-skilled staff, the number of low-skilled staff required is decreasing. One major reason for this is the increasing sophistication of robotics allowing automation of many previously labour intensive manual processes. The redundancy of manual labour is not the only profession threatened by technological advancement. The World Economic Forum has warned that many professional occupations, such as accountancy or even law, may no longer be a viable career option in the future with increasingly sophisticated artificially intelligent machines taking over such roles across all sectors. Instead, they suggest that we should focus on irreplaceable ‘human’ skills such as entrepreneurship, networking and communication to stay ahead of the technological disruption and remain competitive in an international job market.
Another study highlighted careers advice in schools as a key factor in promoting skills development. Apprenticeships, shadowing schemes, formal work experience or even talks from employers which highlight the value of skills such as presenting and interpersonal relationships. However, employers say that the new levy on businesses designed to fund more apprenticeships will not work, as it is simply perpetuating the current model. Rather than bolstering and rebranding a system which is in need of fundamental changes to be effective, employers demand “better quality training places” which meet the needs of businesses and employees as opposed to what works for Whitehall.