According to a report by the World Economic Forum, 44% of the skills employees perform within their roles will change by 2025 and 9 in 10 workers will require some level of reskilling. Other studies suggest over 60% of employees feel they lack the necessary skills needed for the next five years, and 26% admit they haven’t attended a workplace training scheme for ten years.

Work and employment specialist ReWAGE evaluated recent studies and concluded a critical need to upskill and reskill adult employees to ensure the UK can meet future challenges that are likely to impact progress and productivity. The group emphasises that the risks are significant should we, as a nation, fail to take decisive action. 

Governments and businesses generally agree that training is valuable, but statistics suggest this isn’t happening through practical measures. The UK Government can support the upskilling of jobs by facilitating new measures in the public sector, encouraging new plans like the NHS Skills Escalator and providing general support to businesses to ensure they can upskill their workforce.

We must, however, acknowledge the challenge that many employers are increasingly choosing to hire in skills rather than focus on upskilling their employees. The main challenge here is shifting employers from the position of ‘customers’ in the skills system to one focused on production. Many leading employers do take this approach, but there is a demand for more businesses to tackle upskilling effectively. 

We currently lack coherent systems for training professionals in workplace learning principles. Local Skills Improvement Plans can drive more discussions between training providers and employers. By encouraging businesses to focus on skills-based training and development further, their participation can extend beyond connections with local providers and encourage further skills-based training within their organisation. A large part of learning happens at work, and more focus should be on developing those responsible for training and enabling them to enhance their skills in knowledge and the educational process. We require a more structured approach towards training people in the theory and practice of workplace learning. Enhancing the connections between adult training and education, training providers, and universities is also critical.

The department for education’s unit for future skills (UFS) focuses on improving skills. Discussions between training providers and employers must progress further. Businesses cannot depend on colleges and other groups to adapt to their requirements. They must also change to ensure learning is accessible and a reality for their employees.