Fall in skills shortages for Yorkshire and the Humber

David Hodges - Regional Director of Skills

Employers in Yorkshire and the Humber have reported a sharp fall in skills gaps, according to the National Employer Skills Survey 2005 (NESS05), released recently by the LSC.

The report, which surveyed 6,462 employers in the region and provides the most comprehensive analysis of skills in England ever undertaken, revealed the skills gap is closing and employers are investing billions of pounds in training and development.

• The number of employers in Yorkshire and Humber with a skills gap in their company has fallen from 29 per cent in 2003 to 23 per cent in 2005
• Slightly fewer than 156,000 workers in Yorkshire and the Humber were described by employers as not fully proficient last year, compared with 292,000 in 2003
• The number of individuals identified by their employer as having a skills gap in the region has dropped from 13 per cent in 2003 to 8 per cent in 2005

This is a reflection of the increased investment in training by employers in the region with nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of the employers surveyed, funding or arranging training for their workforce in the last 12 months, with 33 per cent using FE Colleges for training needs.

However, there is still work to be done in this region, with just under a quarter of employers (23 per cent) compared to the national average of 16 per cent, reporting skills gaps amongst their staff. The number of individuals identified by employers as having a skills gap is 7.5 per cent in our region, compared to a national average of 5.9 per cent.

David Hodges, Regional Skills Director for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, welcomes the improvement but said that the region still has a long way to go to close the productivity gap with leading national and international competitors.

Hodges comments: "We are encouraged to see the skills gap is closing in Yorkshire and the Humber, but recognise there is still much more work to be done to ensure the region has a fully proficient workforce.

"With two million people working for 130,000 employers, Yorkshire and the Humber represents nearly 10 per cent of the UK's workforce. Our region's strengths include its environmental assets, a well-developed communications infrastructure and there is also a strong educational infrastructure. But we must increase employers' commitment to training, at all levels, if we are to compete on a national and international stage. There is no room for complacency.

"We will be working closely with all our partners to achieve this, and the recent roll-out of the Train to Gain skills brokerage programme will ensure we can support employers in the region even more effectively to get the training they need to succeed."