How can manufacturers overcome skills gaps?

Finding the right people with the right skills for the job can be challenging for all employers but poses particular problems for those within manufacturing industries.

A skilled workforce is a vital to companies and can have a great impact on the success of a business.  However, many manufacturers often struggle to find suitable applicants to fill skilled vacancies, which in turn affects productivity and growth.

Many manufacturers believe that the skills gap is likely to increase as time passes and workers retire.  It is therefore vital that emphasis is placed on training to develop and encourage workers in their specific field.

As a result of rapid changes and advances within the industry employers have also found that the type of work they require is changing.  The changes in processes and automation within manufacturing are likely to continue and employees are needed who can be flexible and adapt their skills to the work required.

What are the solutions?

Narrowing the skills gap will require input from various areas including education and governmental funding, as well as contributions from the manufacturing industry itself.

There are several things which manufacturers could aim to develop to improve their abilities to bridge the skills gap within their businesses.  For example, more effort could be put into recruitment and brand management and development to ensure that the right people are attracted to applying for vacancies.

It is also necessary to ensure that time and effort is put into developing strategies to effectively improve the skills of existing employees.  One way of achieving this would be to implement programmes which enable more experienced workers to mentor and pass on their skills to others.  It may be beneficial to encourage older workers to reduce their hours instead of retiring so they can be on hand to provide assistance and insights to colleagues.

Equally it is important to develop links with educational establishments and work with them to ensure that current students and potential future employees are given the relevant training and skills to enable them to succeed within the sector.

Could the UK oil and gas industry have the answer?

The importance of training people and working with educational providers has been recognised by some industries.  For example, the oil and gas industry has recently been given a boost in the North West by the announcement that Blackpool and the Fylde College has been selected as the UK hub for a new National College for Onshore Oil and Gas.

The National College has been jointly funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the onshore oil and gas industry.  The aim is to strengthen ties between industry and education in order to support the industry’s future requirements and enable growth within this area.

The legal issue in addressing skills gaps

Upskilling a workforce naturally presents its challenges, including the many employment law implications.

To ensure a healthy and vibrant business, both now and in the future, careful thought must be given and a strategy put in place to continually address skills gaps within the business.

For more information on this subject, or any other employment law matter, please contact the Employment team on 01772 258321.