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Missing Millions – the training gap in the UK workforce

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  • only 33% of working age people in the UK feel positive about their future career prospects
  • 34% of respondents have either not received workplace training in the last five years or have never had any such training – equating to 17.8 million people with outdated skills.
  • 31.3 million people (60% of respondents) feel their skills are underutilised

In its latest research report, Missing Millions, City & Guilds shines a light on the worrying reality of the UK’s skills and productivity crisis.

As productivity continues to decline, it’s widely understood that businesses and Government need to prepare to meet the demands of the workplace of the future and ensure the country has the skilled workforce it will need over the next decade. However, the research reveals that people across the nation are being denied access to training and opportunities to upskill that would enable them to be more productive.

According to the report – which is based on findings from labour market economists Emsi and a poll of 5,000 working age people – only half (53%) have received workplace training in the last three years, and a third (34%) have either never received training, or did so more than five years ago. The lack of opportunity for skills development leads to only a third (33%) of the UK working age population feeling positive about their future career prospects.

In addition to this, 60% of respondents stated that they felt the skills they did have were underutilised at least 50% of the time, suggesting that employers are not fully capitalising on the skills they already have within their businesses.

Kirstie Donnelly, Interim CEO at City & Guilds Group, commented:

Today we are fortunate that unemployment sits at its lowest level since 1975, but this masks the fact that many people in the country are in fact underemployed and could contribute far more to society if given the opportunity. By unlocking more people’s full potential, we can both increase opportunities for social mobility and help to drive up productivity.

Over the last decade, we have witnessed continued cuts to adult education funding, which has meant that certain groups of people have effectively been ‘left behind’. As the impact of Artificial Intelligence and the fourth industrial revolution continues to totally reshape the labour market, we need to see urgent action from the Government to reverse the decline of the lifelong learning sector – ensuring people in all areas have access to critical skills development and employers have access to the talent they so desperately need.

The research found:

  • Those from lower socio-economic groups were much less likely to have received training in the last five years (44% vs 68%) and were less satisfied with their career prospects (22% vs 39%) than those from higher socio-economic groups;
  • Those living in the North East of England faced a significant disadvantage in access to training and opportunities for progression when compared with other regions. Only 21% of people in the North East felt positive about the jobs market in their local area, compared to 45% in London;
  • Those working part-time – significantly more women than men – were also less likely to have received training in the last five years than those working full-time (61% vs 72%). Part-time workers were additionally far less likely to believe there was opportunity to progress than their full-time counterparts (22% vs 36%);
  • People highly value the training they do receive – 77% of those who had received workplace training stated that it had enabled them to be more effective at their job.

Kirstie continued:

From better provision of training and education across regions of the UK to better access to childcare giving more part-time workers the chance to upskill, we need to see immediate action from government and policy makers. We are already lagging behind the other G7 countries when it comes to productivity so it’s critical that we address this challenge head on if we are to retain our status as a leading global economy post Brexit. Harnessing the full potential of the people that are already in work – and are yearning to learn – would be a significant step in the right direction.

As a result of the findings in the report, City & Guilds is calling for government and policy makers, employers and individuals to take action:

  • Employers need to invest in skills development for people at all ages and levels of their career. They also need to get better at recognising and utilising people’s full skillsets.
  • Individuals need to start looking for more opportunities to upskill themselves outside of the workplace or put themselves forward for training at work, as well as showcasing their full range of skills to employers, both current and potential.
  • Government and policy makers need to urgently review adult education and create a system that encourages lifelong learning, retraining and reskilling. They need to provide better careers guidance and advice to people at all stages of their career.

Download Report

Visit our searchable Knowledge Bank for a range of reports and studies on gender diversity, leadership and related topics.

Internal politics are biggest workplace struggle say study respondents

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office-politics

Earlier this month, Roar Training asked nearly 400 people to reflect on their biggest workplace struggles of 2019. What came out of this exercise was the realisation that huge numbers of people are genuinely unhappy at work, for reasons that are easily managed.

  • Scenarios that require collaboration and navigating interpersonal relationships are some of our biggest struggles
  • Over half (54%) struggle with feeling bored, unfulfilled or demotivated
  • For some work is somewhere they “dread going to”, with “toxic bosses”, “sexist cultures” and “political sociopaths”

Relationships with bosses also scored highly, though relationships with co-workers less so. Considerations around productivity, such as managing workload and handling emails, are less challenging.

What do employees want?

Roar Training also asked people ‘If you felt completely professionally fulfilled, what would be different?’ to gauge the changes that participants wanted to see within their professional lives.

More autonomy

Professional autonomy and the ability manage one’s own workload was a common theme, with respondents stating:

“I’d have total autonomy over how I worked my day/hours.”, “I’d like more autonomy and opportunity to manage my own work.” and “A manager that trusted my decisions and my ability to do the right thing, without always needing to check on me. I know what I am doing, I would like to be able to just get on.”
“I would be happier if I was able to use my initiative more and work independently.”

Less stress

The majority of what would make respondents feel professionally fulfilled were emotional, rather than financial. (Only 8% of respondents mentioned money or salary specifically) and feeling less stressed and worried was a huge part of that.

“I’d be in a better place mentally and emotionally and it would help me in all other aspects of my life. I’d truly be working to live, not living to work which is how it feels at the moment.”

“I wouldn’t be dreading coming into work. I wouldn’t be stressed the second I open my emails. “

“I wouldn’t feel so stressed and I’d be able to focus on the parts of my job that add real value”

Focus and clarity

For many participants, a desire for professional clairty and focus was a recurring theme. Interestingly there was a correlation between this sentiment and wanting to feel valued and supported, suggesting a lack of direction or objectives, making employees feel lost and consequently uncertain of whether they were doing the right thing.

“Sit down and create more plans, structure is key!”
Clarity on what I do and my role within the business, especially how it can develop.
“A clearer understanding of what my job is and what exactly is expected of me”
“Have the time to focus on projects that will really move the needle and make a difference without distractions.”
“I’d feel motivated and have clarity in what I actually do.”

Feeling heard

The ability to feel as though you are being heard, believed and listened to is significant in developing professional fulfillment. Interestingly, this notion featured heavily in our research on creating gender parity in the workplace. Without feeling heard, people can feel ignored, undervalued and underappreciated.

“Bosses need to believe me”
“Understanding of how to be heard when you know you’ve got a company changing idea, a good one”
“I would be able to bring forward issues and solutions”
“Have the confidence to suggest changes or discuss them without fear of being fobbed off or ignored.”

Flexible working

Unsurprisingly, a desire to work remotely or flexibly features regularly in professional fulfillment.

“Flexible working would be key. I work full time and I have a small child. I wish my employer would recognise that sometimes doing the standard 9-5 isn’t possible, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t still achieve as much working around that.”

“I recently took on a remote role that offers flexible working in a department I love.
Previous to this I worked in an office in a role I wasn’t at all passionate about.
I can already feel the difference in both my professional and working life.”

“Freedom with working hours (not feeling like I have to stay until 5, even though I’ve tied my tasks up by 4.30 for example).”

What are your thoughts and main workplace challenges? Perhaps these are familiar, maybe yours are different.

Warrior Women gather at Lloyd’s

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Warrior Women

Lloyd’s provided a stunning backdrop for our full-to-capacity Warrior Women at War leadership event held in partnership with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity on Wednesday 25 September.

The theme was to compare and contrast Army leadership with that in the corporate world and to discover what, if anything, each could learn from the other.

The Keynote, delivered by Major General Susan Ridge, set the tone for the evening and outlined her experience, as a lawyer, within the Army.  “Whilst businesses had shareholders,” she said “the Army needed to satisfy the demands of multiple stakeholders.”

She also highlighted that in the Army it was always about “us” and not about “me”, that the ethos was one that welcomed challenge, where leadership required judgement and humility, knowing when to give people their head and when to give help, supervision and training.

Warrior Women image
Panellists Philippa Lorimer MBE, Claire Bowler and Annette Andrews

In response to a question about whether the corporate world could learn from the Army’s values (Courage, Discipline, Respect for Others, Integrity, Loyalty and Selfless Commitment) Panellist, Commandant Philippa Lorimer MBE, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (PRVC) reflected that one of the big differences between her experience in the Army and her work in private sector defence sales was the lack of “honest” communication. She said that it had taken her time to adjustment to a world where what you said didn’t necessarily happen and you knew it wasn’t going to happen. 

Annette Andrews, HR Director, Lloyd’s spoke of her experience having moved from country to country as a child and how that helped her when she worked overseas and managed teams in other countries.  It had enabled her to quickly adjust to new situations, to “read” people and understand other cultures.

Claire Bowler, Partner, DWF who has three young children, aged 2, 4, and 6 spoke about how flexible and agile working had helped her to progress within her career.  “Within a 40-45 year career, it’s OK to take your foot off the pedal now and again,” she advised.  She also encouraged women to be strategic about how they used their time when managing a high level career and family and to be selective about when to be present at work. 

During the Q&A session that followed, there was much discussion about flexible working – its importance and how to ask for it (base on facts, on outputs rather than emotion) and the need for mentors, sponsors and role models.

Gwen Rhys, CEO Women in the City reminded everyone that sometimes they needed to be their own role model, citing Condoleezza Rice, former US Secretary of State who said:

Search for role models you can look up to and people who take an interest in your career. But here’s an important warning: you don’t have to have mentors or role models who look like you. Had I been waiting for a Black, female, Soviet specialist mentor, I would still be waiting. Most of my mentors have been old white men, because they were the ones who dominated my field.

Gwen added that many women felt there weren’t role models in their business that they could look up to an emulate and suggested that rather than trying to find “the one”, women should make a composite role model of the “best” traits, characteristics, behaviours of several women and men.

The post-event networking was lively, with lots of ideas and suggestions being exchanged.  One idea was to set up Mentoring Groups, rather like Tutorial Groups, to encourage male mentors, who may be reluctant to mentor women 1-2-1, to participate.

In partnership with Sponsored by
abf

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Warrior Women at Work, join us on 25 September

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image warrior women

REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND

 

Warrior Women at Work is a unique, interactive Women’s Leadership event designed by Women in the City in partnership with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. The evening will bring together senior female leaders from a variety of backgrounds to share, discuss, compare and contrast their leadership challenges.

Our Keynote Speaker will be Major General Susan Ridge, the first female to hold the rank of major general in the British Army. A solicitor, she served as Director General of the Army Legal Services Branch from September 2015 to July 2019.

Susan will be joined by a panel made up of:

Date: 25 September 2019
Location: The Old Library, Lloyd’s, One Lime Street, EC3M 7HA
Time: 18.30 – 20.30
Format:
18.30 Mix & Mingle Reception
19.00 Welcome and Introductions
Keynote Speaker and Panel Interview
Audience Discussion
Q&A
19.45 Networking
20.30 Close

This event is open to women and men. Refreshments will be served.

REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND

The evening is brought to you in partnership with:

abf ABF The Soldiers’ Charity was formed in 1944, at the height of World War Two. Its purpose has not changed since that day: to ensure that all soldiers, veterans and their immediate families can live a life of independence and dignity.
While there is a British Army, there will be The Soldiers’ Charity.

And is sponsored by:

 

Imposter Syndrome Affecting 90% of UK Women

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imposter image

A recent study by learning & development training provider, The Hub Events, has revealed that women in the UK are experiencing an epidemic of self-doubt.

90% of UK women admitted to feeling inadequate or incompetent at work, and 73% don’t feel they deserve their current success.

Of these, 17% said that they experience these feelings often or all the time.

These findings are particularly staggering as the responses came from 1,000 UK adults who are currently employed and have at least 3 years’ experience in their field of work.

‘Imposter Syndrome’ is a psychological pattern which causes chronic self-doubt and overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, often despite repeated success and accomplishments.

Of the women surveyed, only 27% were aware of ‘Imposter Syndrome’, however most respondents said they had experienced its effects.

Over half of the women surveyed (51%) admitted to experiencing the kinds of intrusive thoughts that come with ‘Imposter Syndrome’.

Of those experiencing intrusive thoughts;

  • 37% believe it is only due to luck/chance that they have achieved success
  • 1 in 4 (24%) think that one day their boss or colleagues will realise they are under qualified (despite experience/qualifications)
  • 1 in 4 (24%) think they only got a job or promotion because the workplace was ‘short on candidates’
  • 15% don’t think they deserve the praise or compliments that they receive about their success at work

How do we stop the crisis of self-doubt?

Good mental health is crucial to a happy and successful career and personal life, and sufferers of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ may be at increased risk of anxiety – so what can employers do to eliminate it?

  • 3 in 5 (60%) respondents want to see more regular positive & helpful feedback on staff performance
  • 44% want employers to create a more open environment where staff are encouraged to talk about the challenges they face
  • 43% believe providing adequate coaching & mentors for staff will help
  • 2 in 5 (41%) want to ensure management staff are trained to assist with their employees’ anxieties and self-doubt
  • 35% think employers should provide access to mental health services

Christine Macdonald, Director of The Hub Events, said;

Despite having relevant skills, experience and qualifications, some women still feel overwhelmed by the feeling that they will one day be exposed as a ‘fraud’. The burden of this worry can end up holding them back.
Simply talking about the fact that ‘Imposter Syndrome’ exists, and that it’s a lot more common than we think, could be a huge relief to people who are gripped by these self-doubts.

Organisations can help a lot by encouraging openness, opportunities to develop and realistic expectations. They can also help by ensuring their management staff are all fully trained to mentor and assist employees and understand the importance of positive feedback.