12 months of 2020: July

In a year that has catapulted people professionals to the top of every agenda, our 12 Days of Christmas countdown reviews what made the headlines in 2020.

Leaders and managers lacking crisis evasion skills

Three quarters (73%) of employees said they believe that their company’s leadership has been lacking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UK’s persistent digital skills gap poses risk to economic recovery

A majority (69%) of UK leaders have said they believe their organisation currently has a digital skills gap, and 70% expect one to develop over the next year.

Millions of workers to miss out on government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee

Millions of workers who would benefit the most from the government's Lifetime Skills Guarantee (LSG) would currently miss out when it is launched in 2021, according to a new report.

Building critical skills is HR leaders’ priority for 2021

Building critical skills and competencies will be HR leaders’ number one priority next year, according to a new survey from Gartner.

Regions need more control over skills and employment

The government has been urged to give regional economies in the UK greater autonomy over skills and employment in order to create grassroots recovery strategies following the pandemic.

Bringing young people back to work

It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the jobs market, but it is young people aged 16-24 that have suffered the most.

UK workers not learning enough new skills

?The CIPD has said that many of those who have lost their job due to the pandemic have been left without the necessary skills to secure a new one.

Government's labour market interventions risk disjointing Plan for Jobs

?The Department for Work & Pensions’ (DWP) £238 million Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) has provided another piece in the puzzle faced by people left jobless by the coronavirus pandemic, yet critics...

Billions added to the National Skills Fund to help people back into work post-COVID

The UK government has announced that £2.5 billion will be available through the National Skills Fund to help people get into work and others to train for higher-skilled, better-paid jobs after the...

How to apply for the government’s Kickstart Scheme

The UK government has opened its Kickstart Scheme which seeks to help 16 to 24-year-olds into work.

Number of young people not in education, employment or training falls

The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has fallen slightly year-on-year, according to new data.