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Educators can help in the war on talent

The results from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills’ (UKCES) Employer Skills Survey 2015, which was completed by 91,000 employers and published in January this year, show that despite having left the recession behind us, businesses are still suffering economically due to a shortage of suitable job candidates. In addition to this, almost one quarter of job vacancies last year were caused by the growing skills crisis that is taking effect across the UK, with 14% of employers reporting skills gaps in their existing workforce. As a result, the war on talent sees no sign of abating.

Here in the Thames Valley, which is an economic powerhouse of enormous importance to the UK and performs strongly on most key economic measures, we face a serious skills shortage issue. Berkshire as a region has high employment rates (77% compared to the national average of 73%), the highest economic output per head of population of all English sub-regions outside of London and it also has England’s most productive workforce. However, despite these encouraging statistics, the skills shortage is much more acute in Berkshire than across England as a whole.

This skills shortage was laid out in our latest ‘Thames Valley Skills, Education and Recruitment Survey 2016,’ published in April 2016. Although, the report does provide an optimistic outlook on the employment situation, with over half (57%) of the companies surveyed having increased recruitment during the second half of 2015, and companies that are looking to expand and grow (either into new markets, products, services or to new locations) being those that are hiring most at present. However, despite these optimistic results, nearly two thirds of respondents surveyed (64%) admitted to finding it difficult to recruit staff with the right skills. Furthermore, one of the major challenges cited by companies was finding candidates with the right level of experience (36%).

What the survey also found was that skills, experience and behaviours were valued more highly than qualifications and that today’s employers want candidates who can bring the right beliefs, attitudes and behaviours into their businesses. The survey found that over one quarter (28%) of respondents place skills above qualifications. Skills were closely followed by experience (26%) and behaviours (23%), followed by qualifications (15%). What the majority of companies are realising is that they prefer candidates to have the right behavioural traits, as many employers seem to think that the job itself can be taught once candidates are in employment.

As Chief Executive of a group of colleges and schools, I am interested in the results from the perspective of a recruiter. I personally wouldn’t dismiss an application from someone who has never taught before. As long as that person has the right beliefs, attitudes and behaviours, we can help them to become a great teacher. However, if they have been taught how to teach but don’t genuinely care about improving our students’ future lives, then I’m not inclined to have them on board.

The further education sector is adept at preparing young people for employment, yet it constantly faces reductions in funding. At the same time universities are able to generate increased income by setting tuition fees ever higher. The survey findings clearly questions whetheremployers are looking in the right place for candidates with the right skills. Over half of respondents (56%) consider a university degree an important requirement when recruiting staff. However, almost three quarters (71%) believe that apprenticeships are the best way to get skills into their organisations. Apprenticeships are certainly gaining serious traction, which was evident when we did the same survey back in 2014, when 60% felt this to be the case. I believe that if we were to do this survey again next year, we would see that figure rise yet again.

One of the answers to the skills shortage is certainly to encourage more collaboration between employers and educators. In the end, young people need to build a career and so it is in their interest to ensure they have the skills that companies are looking for. Young people are smart enough to listen to employers, as well as to people who are already in employment, and our job as educators is to encourage that dialogue and ensure that young people are equipped with the skills that employers demand. Apprenticeships are part of the solution but we can also bring employers into the design of further education programmes and increase opportunities for placements, coaching and mentoring. By increasing students’ experience of work throughout their time at college we can help to win the war on talent for the benefit of employers and applicants.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Activate Learning .