Employers demand for skilled staff likely to soar
May 17 2010 by Peter McCusker, The Journal
DEMAND for highly-skilled people will intensify during the recovery and employers fear they will not be able to find enough qualified people to fill high-level jobs, a new survey reveals today.
The CBI report, called Ready to grow: business priorities for education and skills, found half of employers (51%) were concerned they would not be able to fill graduate level jobs.
The survey was answered by 694 employers, which together employ over 2.4 million people and represent companies of all sizes and sectors.
One third (32%) of employers didn’t believe it will be possible to fill intermediate level jobs, requiring skills equivalent to A-level and one third (30%) of employers predict the need for lower-level skills will decrease.
Despite the recession, nearly half of employers (45%) say they are already having difficulty recruiting staff with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with manufacturers and science-related businesses having the most difficulty finding highly-skilled people to fill their posts.
Richard Lambert, CBI director-general, said: “Our survey shows businesses want tomorrow’s workforce to be at the top of the new government’s policy agenda. As we move further into recovery and businesses plan for growth, the demand for people with high-quality skills and qualifications will intensify. The new government must make encouraging more young people to study science-related subjects a top priority.”
