More than 50% of employers surveyed said that they worry that a lack of high-skilled workers is going to damage economic growth.In key areas, such as construction manufacturing, science, engineering and technology firms are
facing a skills emergency now”
said Katja Hall, deputy director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and although a levy has been introduced on big companies to provide funding for the 3 million apprenticeships that the government aims to create, this will not automatically result in high quality apprenticeships in the areas that we need them.Careers Advice in SchoolsApproximately ¾ of employers say that one of the big problems is the quality of careers advice in schools, with young people not receiving the information and guidance that they need. Director General of the CBI, John Cridland said that careers advice given to young people was,
not up to scratch”
The CBI has also called for curriculum reforms, including the scrapping of GCSEs and a more robust approach to teaching young people the wider skills needed for employment, with many employers saying that they have to put measures in place to get young recruits work-ready themselves rather than these young people arriving in the workplace ready for work.What do you need to know when deciding what career to pursue?Sadly, it isn’t enough to just consider what you enjoy – it’s important to understand what jobs will exist in the future and offer excellent career opportunities. Careers advice needs to include access to up to date labour market information.Knowing what jobs are likely to be available in the future is a great starting point. From here you can investigate the skills that you will need, both technical and job specific and employability skills associated with the industry. Only when you know what employers want can you start to develop these skills and put yourself in the best possible employment position in the future.
