64% of UK Business leaders are concerned that potential employees do not have the necessary skills to realise the ambitions of their business according to a recent study carried out by international professional services firm PwC. The research, in which more than 1,300 employers were asked about their hiring intentions over the next 12 months, also revealed that a quarter of business leaders plan to increase their workforce by up to 5% in the coming year, with a further 20% planning increases of up to 8% and a further one in five planning increases of over 8%.
Technology and engineering firms are the ones to report the most drastic shortage of skilled talent. This has led businesses to ask for help from the UK government to try and fill the skills gap in the market. Two-thirds of those asked say that combating the skills shortage should be the joint top priority for the government along with ensuring there is stability in the financial sector and access to affordable capital. However only a mere 7% think that the government has been successful in achieving these priorities.
For more information on the research carried out,
click here.