What can individuals and organisations do to effectively combat the skills shortage in the UK?

With the new year just around the corner, now is the perfect time to assess your current skill set and begin exploring opportunities for the development of knowledge and skills that are required by your company or organisation.


The Government's Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has recently acknowledged a shortage of relevant business skills in the workforce. Such skills are not only essential to an individual's successful career progression but also to the growth of the UK economy. Individual learning and development initiatives are most effective when they respond to the direct needs of businesses.


In this training update from CAPITA Learning & Development we will look at some of the positive and proactive steps that you can take to ensure career progression within your organisation and the job market in general.


1. Begin by discussing and identifying any gaps in your knowledge and skills with your line manager or HR manager in addition to exploring potential gaps or new requirements for development within the general organisation.


2. After identifying your learning and development requirements assess and complete any of the relevant professional development programmes and/or practical skills training courses that are available to you. Capita Learning & Development offers a wide choice of training courses and professional development programmes both approved and accredited by educational institutions like ILM, CMI and EDI.


3. If appropriate, gain membership to a professional body. For example, Capita's PEEL Club, a professional membership body for HR and Personnel Experts in Employment Law, offers regular training opportunities and unlimited access to specialist knowledge sharing and networking opportunities with fellow members.


4. Concentrate on your field. Don't try to be a jack of all trades. Enhance the skills that are most relevant to your job. You will soon be identified as a specialist in your field, which will open the doors of career progression.