Skills gaps remain “stubbornly high” with nearly two thirds of organisations facing skills shortages, research has revealed. According to The Open University’s annual Business Barometer report, three in five (62 per cent) UK organisations continue to report “worrying” skills shortages. The research, which examined the present UK skills landscape, revealed a slight improvement, with fewer firms reporting skills shortages, down from 73 per cent to 62 per cent. However, skills shortages persist across sectors and regions in all four nations. According to the report, the most frequently cited roles where shortages exist are engineers however despite this, figures show that one in five (19 per cent) organisations have implemented a written skills plan for their workforce this year, which impedes the ability to address these difficulties strategically and plan for future demands, the report said. Click here for more.
