South West businesses facing recruitment crisis due to shortage of skilled workers
The government are being urged to improve upskilling schemes
Last updated 4th Oct 2021
Businesses in the South West are facing a recruitment crisis over worries they aren't able to hire skilled workers.
New data shows 60 per cent of them are worried they can't recruit staff with the right skillset - which is having serious implications on firms across the region.
21% of those struggling have revealed they have missed out on new contracts and custom as a result and 39% says it's restricted their expansion plans.
The pandemic is being partially to blame for the issue which has left many employers needing to retool their staff's skillset to meet the changing demands for their business.
Anne Milton, former skills and apprenticeships minister, says: "2030 came early because of Covid and tech and business advances have accelerated enormously.
"So now we've got at the end of furlough, and already in the job market, people looking for jobs and sectors with vacancies.
"But there's a mismatch between the skills which are needed and the skills people have."
The impact of businesses who are unable to recruit skilled workers is "serious", according to Anne, who says they won't be able to compete in a global market without them which has a direct effect on the economy.
There are also a number of barriers in the way for employees who need to upskill to remain relevant in the fast-changing labour market.
Anne continued: "One of the schemes available which is the ability to do a Level 3 qualification, so that's the equivalent of a B-Tech or an A-Level...
"You can't do that unless you have previously done a qualification at that level.
"So this of course is a huge barrier for those who want to reskill and move into another area or work."
There are calls for the Government to extend training funding to those looking to reskill to help meet the rapidly changing needs of firms in the South West.
It's also being advised local leaders have more say over cash for training which will make sure the education and training systems works better for employers and jobseekers in that region.