According to Capita Learning and Development, which interviewed 500 senior managers, the majority (70%) fear inadequate staff skills are the greatest threat to their ability to capitalise on the recovery.
More than two thirds of business leaders admit their under-trained workforce is struggling to cope with expanded job remits following waves of job cuts during recession. And as the economy moves out of the downturn, two fifths (40%) estimate at least half of employee skills risk becoming obsolete.
The study attributes the problem to the inability of companies’ learning and development (L&D) functions to adapt to strategic change. L&D departments have failed to deliver the skills businesses needed to fight recession and position for growth.
Senior managers are concerned about their staff’s ability to adapt to the demands of the changing business environment.
Over a third of leaders (36%) lack confidence that their employees have the skills required to deliver the firm’s upturn strategy, with close to half (46%) casting doubt on their L&D department’s ability to provide these learning services.
Over half (55%) claim their firm is failing to deliver the necessary training for recovery. And a similar number fear for their company’s ability to respond to surges in demand (51%), retrain and redeploy people where required (47%) and identify where current skills are becoming obsolete (49%).
Employees are also still struggling to catch up with the impact of recession. More than two thirds (67%) of business leaders are concerned their employees are struggling to cope with expanded remits following job cuts.
More than half (52%) describe their L&D function as slow to respond to the changing requirements of their business during economic turbulence. But going forward, almost as many (43%) expect no significant change to L&D delivery over the next two to three years.
Chris Sharp, managing director, Capita Learning & Development, said: "The post-recession landscape demands a range of new skills. Yet the UK workforce is critically lacking essential capabilities.
"Firms have failed to provide the right training through turbulent times and to arm their staff with the skills needed for recovery. There is a real risk that this will leave UK plc exposed when the upturn finally arrives."
