Bridging the skills gap
With a shortage of skilled staff being OMBs’ second ranked business concern – and the fact that many are worried about a shortage of EU labour after Brexit – it’s encouraging that businesses are taking action.
Just under half (45%) of OMBs intend to recruit new staff to fill skills gaps in their business – which suggests that competition for high-quality individuals will only intensify.
What skills are OMBs most keen to develop through training? Technology tops the list, with 48% of surveyed seeing digital skills (including the understanding and use of technology) as an area of training and development requiring investment in their business. Sales and marketing skills come a close second (45%), reflecting many OMBs’ strong focus on expanding their UK customer base.
Leadership and management skills are also a high priority (43%), with many OMBs expressing a need to develop soft skills (34%), technical skills (30%) and commercial awareness (27%).
For further insights into the ways in which OMBs plan to bridge the skills gap, download our full report
here.