An employer guide to the skills puzzle: key points, advice and steps towards policy change
Totaljobs and The Work Foundation's November 2020 research focuses on skills development in the UK and the Government’s plans to 'level up' training. This guide to the 'skills puzzle' includes key findings, employer recommendations and updates as Totaljobs and The Work Foundation take steps to engage policymakers in taking action to ensure people don't fall through the gaps in the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
The research
New analysis published by The Work Foundation and Totaljobs finds that millions of low paid workers will struggle to access the Government’s new Lifetime Skills Guarantee (LSG) when it is launched next year amidst a growing jobs challenge.
The Lifetime Skills Guarantee is part of the Government’s plans to create new and better jobs and ensure “everyone has the chance to train and retrain”. However, the LSG is only open to workers without a level 3 qualification (A level or equivalent) and the report finds many of those who could benefit most from additional training don’t qualify, with 1.4 million low paid mid-career workers (aged 25-49) locked out of support for holding at least one level 3 qualification.
Read the key findings
The Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee aims to level up skills development and training for the UK workforce, enabling people to upskill or reskill to access more secure employment, career progression or move across industries. However, gaps in support mean many people could be set to lose out, which will have wider implications for job security and business recovery. Find out more about how far Government support will go and what this means for employers.
Download the reports
If you want to dig deeper into the analysis and research, download the complete report, or if you’re short on time, download the summary for businesses.
You’ll get:
- A 360° analysis of the labour market and skills policy landscape following Covid-19 and Brexit, highlighting barriers to training in the UK
- Ways to upskill and future-proof your workforce by tying skills development into your wider business strategy
- A breakdown of how the LSG could be improved to keep skills at the heart of the UK economy
- How to join us in calling the Government to widen the reach of the LSG
Calling on the Government to take action to improve the effectiveness of the LSG
Check back here for updates as Totaljobs and The Work Foundation engage with policymakers. In the meantime, you can follow Totaljobs on LinkedIn.
Tips on how to embed employee training and upskilling into your business strategy
Take a look at the snippets below to hear from Totaljobs CEO, Jon Wilson, and Head of Research at The Work Foundation, Melanie Wilkes, as they share their thoughts on all things skills development.
Or if you’ve got a little more time, take a look at Jon and Mel’s top tips, alongside further insights and reflections from Director of Policy at the British Chamber of Commerce, James Martin, and Global Head of Sourcing and Attraction at bp, Victoria Hyland:
Shape your learning and development agenda for 2021 and beyond with the best insights pulled from our webinar on the future of skills development in the UK.
Watch the webinar recording
On 19th November 2020, Totaljobs CEO Jon Wilson was joined by Ben Harrison, Director at The Work Foundation to dig into the analysis of the adult education landscape.
If you missed the webinar (or want to watch again), take a look below:
On 19th November 2020, Totaljobs CEO, Jon Wilson, was joined by Head of Research at the Work Foundation, Melanie Wilkes, to delve deeper into Government adult education policy, what this means for employers, and the actions that need to be taken to ensure the Lifetime Skills Guarantee reaches its potential.