Core Facts
•   37% of UK employers surveyed said they’d made headcount reductions in last 12 months
•   One in five UK managers say they have a skills gap as a result of recession
•   Women are twice as likely as their male colleagues to say they have had to cover the gap by learning many new skills
•   A third of workers say that having to learn new skills has increased their stress levels at work
•   Over 70% of employers believe that further cuts would damage their business
•   Blending traditional skills with emerging ‘soft skills’ such as innovation and leadership, is seen by experts as the way to succeed

Quotes
Gary Browning Chief Executive of Penna Plc
“Leaders need a new set of skills. The tough single minded focus of previous years needs to be balanced with humility, respect and an ability to be visionary in adversity. It’s a tough call for any leader but these softer skills need to be learned by many.”

Peter Kelly, Enterprise Director, Vodafone UK
"Organisations of all sizes in all sectors are either considering or have already had to make difficult decisions regarding their people.  It’s important to investigate how reorganisations of workforces are impacting the skills base; what makes the difference between surviving and succeeding; and what advice can be given in managing costs without destroying old and new skills. This Working Nation report offers valuable insights into these areas.”

Professor Cary Cooper – Lancaster University Management School
"The Vodafone survey highlights the changing nature of work throughout the country, which started before the recession but has accelerated dramatically since. There is as major shift of employment between sectors requiring a comparable shift in the skill training needed by many, as they move into different jobs and industries. This is particularly the case in certain parts of the country like the Northwest, as these areas transition from manufacturing/engineering and the financial sector into the creative industries and information and communication technologies. The survey highlights the increased need in skill development in the country as a whole and in the Northwest in particular, where there is real movement towards new and innovative industries requiring a change in the skill base. The survey also highlights a real problem if there is a mismatch between the current skill set and what is required, stress! Not only will an organisation suffer in terms of productivity if there is a major skills gap but also the health and wellbeing of their employees. We need a 'skills revolution' for the changing times and the changing occupational demographics of the country and our regions.”

Anne Seaman, CEO Skillsmart
"Recent research by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills shows that firms which continue to invest in training are 2.5 times more likely to survive than those which don’t and retail companies with a robust training programme will be best placed to thrive when the upturn comes. With the recent launch of the new National Skills Academy for Retail, there has never been a better time to invest in up-skilling and re-skilling within the sector.”

Keith Marshall, OBE, CEO SummitSkills
“It is important to recognise that the skills we need are those for the future as we emerge from the recession, not those we needed as we entered.  In our sector, building services engineering, that means particularly skills in the areas of low carbon and renewable energy technologies.  This will not only be good for the sector but also address the Government’s challenging targets on climate change.”

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