Tue, 2 Jun 2009
Businesses have been advised not to cut
back too much on staff training during the recession as skilled
workers will put them in a better position once the economic downturn
ends.
Companies that invest in training for their employees could find they are better placed than other firms once the UK climbs out of recession, an expert has claimed. Daniel Pedley, public affairs manager for the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), said it would be an error for bosses to cut their training budget during the economic downturn. He noted that research from March this year revealed that 70 per cent of employers still have a shortage of skills in their workforce.
While this might seem high, it is a six per cent drop on the figures from the corresponding month the year before. Mr Pedley said this could be because the current economic climate means skilled workers are not always employed or have been made redundant, which has led some companies to snap up talented individuals. Alternatively, he said struggling firms might have abolished certain positions within their organisation to help streamline operations, which would mean certain skills are no longer required. However, the expert suggested that those who invest in training members of staff now could find they are more likely to recover quickly once the economic downturn has passed. "We believe that investing in training now, during a downturn, will help you come up in a better position when the recovery comes," Mr Pedley commented.
The CII Third Annual Skills survey released earlier this week revealed that two-thirds of respondents thought that it was still important to keep investing in staff training. Despite this, one in five employers said they would be trying to save money by reducing the amount spent on boosting skills among workers.
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