Employers are being encouraged to make the most of national demand for workplace skills development, as new research by Censuswide shows that 70% of the UK’s workforce are interested in upskilling during 2022. With tens of millions of employees around England interested in learning new skills in their job this year, the government is encouraging businesses to Join the Skills Revolution and seize this opportunity to boost their business growth.
The survey of over 4,000 of the nation’s workforce shows that employees are feeling more optimistic about their career aspirations in 2022 compared with 2021 – with more than half (52%) indicating that they would be looking for a promotion during 2022, whilst 69% would be seeking increased levels of job satisfaction in the new year compared to 2021.
Almost 70% of those workers surveyed believed that the acquiring of new skills would help them achieve those career goals in 2022.
The research has helped to promote and consolidate the message behind the new government campaign urging employers to Join the Skills Revolution, launched at the end of January, which aims to encourage businesses to prepare for economic recovery by upskilling their workforce. The campaign demonstrates the range of support in the form of training programmes and funding available for employers looking to boost their workforce capabilities, including apprenticeships, traineeships, and T Levels.
The survey also found a considerable demand for on-the-job training, with 39% of workers saying that they would find this particularly useful. 31% of workers indicated that they wanted courses specific to their sector, as well as the support needed to undertake such training from their employer – around a third stating that the barriers to training on the job currently included a ‘lack of time’ available (36%), a ‘lack of confidence’ (31%) and even ‘knowing where to start’ to find the right training for them and their business (30%).
Around a quarter of workers (24%) felt that aspirational and developmental courses in general areas such as leadership, numeracy and digital skills would be beneficial to them and their employer – courses for adult learners, including many free of charge, covering these subjects are available as part of the Skills for Life campaign.
The areas with the biggest demand for new skills were from those employees who were working in specialist sectors, such as so-called ‘green’ industries, where 90% of workers indicated that they wanted to learn new skills relating to their field of work, with a further 84% in the area of science and 87% in IT and telecoms.
The training opportunities that are on offer as part of the government’s Join the Skills Revolution campaign have been designed in partnership with employers, by talking with, and listening to businesses in order to provide programmes that met not only their recruitment needs but would also address skills gaps in their incumbent workforce, through a range of flexibly delivered, free or subsidised courses. One area of training provision, Skills Bootcamps, provide short sector-specific training in areas such as administration, customer service, construction and digital skills in order to help develop a talent pool of skilled job-ready staff to recruit with the right on-the-job training.
Another area key to upskilling of current staff, apprenticeships, offer flexible but structured training, which meet the needs of employers, by providing a mix of off-the-job training and on-the-job experience to ensure that employees can demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviour required by the particular role they are working in, or looking to progress into.
Supporting SMEs, the government pays 95% of the cost of an apprentice’s training, with the remaining 5% being paid by the employing organisation, with the option of hundreds of different apprenticeship standards on offer to suit the needs of all industries.
Despite the effects of the pandemic, almost 67,000 businesses took on an apprentice in 2019/20. T Levels follow GCSEs and offer a new route into the workplace for the next generation, with a 45-day industry placement hosted by employers. T Levels sit alongside traineeships (customisable training programmes for 16 to 24-year-olds) and provide a pathway into employment or apprenticeships, whilst giving businesses early access to the brightest young people entering the market and the opportunity to shape the workforce of the future. Funding and incentive payments are available for employers, with SMEs receiving 95% of apprenticeship training costs and £1,000 on offer for those hosting traineeships and T Level industry placements.
Apprenticeships, traineeships and T Levels can help businesses grow by skilling up their employees, driving better results and helping to retain their workforce. Training and employment schemes can help fill skills gaps by developing the green, digital and STEM skills that a business needs to succeed.
Business Skills Solutions (BSS), part of Newham College of Further Education, are keen to engage with employers who are looking to upskill their current staff to improve business performance and drive growth as we pull further away from the pandemic.
Matt Harvey, BSS Director for Business Development, said:
“We realise the benefits of upskilling current staff in the form of retention and loyalty as well as improved performance and we want to make sure that companies are aware that we don’t just provide pre-screened and employment-ready new candidates but we also give the support and guidance needed to identify training packages that meet the needs of employers in regard to upskilling their current workforce.
“Getting involved in recruiting for new talent, particularly apprentices, is not easy. Finding out about what apprenticeship training is available, the cost and commitments involved, what financial incentives and support is on offer and setting up a recruitment process in the light of agency costs makes it a difficult area for many businesses to get involved in. This is where our experts come in.”
BSS provides its services to companies looking to recruit or train their staff as apprentices, totally free of charge, providing much needed support without the cost of using a recruitment organisation.
BSS was created by Newham College in order to work with both employers and individuals to be a unique and responsive department that provides bespoke learning opportunities to young people and adults to meet the needs of both businesses and those seeking work.
Companies interested in accessing the free range of recruitment support available from Business Skills Solutions, particularly in relation to apprenticeships for new or current employees or pre-employment training for new staff, can contact the team at bssenquiries@newham.ac.uk, quoting All Things Business in the subject line.