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More people in work, but businesses facing skills gaps

More people in work, but businesses facing skills gaps

Commenting on yesterday’s labour market statistics, which show that unemployment in the West Midlands is at its lowest for a decade, Chris Plant, Director at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said:

“It’s good news that more people have joined the workforce and fewer people are unemployed and inactive, as our growing employers need access to talent.

“However, the chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey results revealed that more than half of those firms who had attempted recruiting in the last three months had found it difficult to find the right skills needed for the business, especially in managerial and supervisory roles.

“The chamber is helping to address this skills gap by supporting employers to grow their own talent, through bringing businesses and schools together, organising careers fairs, and providing workforce training.

“Apprenticeship reforms, due to come into effect from April next year, offer opportunities for businesses to recruit new talent and upskill existing workers. Employers need to understand how they might be impacted by the reforms, and the chamber provides awareness events and information sheets to help with this.

“When the local economy has near full employment, retaining good staff is crucial for businesses. That means looking not only at the salary paid, but also the benefits package that staff can access. The chamber’s latest Workforce Report gives pay and benefits data for a wide range of businesses sectors and job roles in Staffordshire and will be an invaluable benchmarking tool for any employer.”

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce will be exhibiting at the Love Business Expo at Stand E10 in the Small Business Zone on the 16th February 2017 at Donington Park.

 


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