Having the right skills at the right time is essential for any business.

Without the right skills, today’s challenge can become tomorrow’s headache. New sales opportunities can be lost. For a business, this affects the bottom line. And for the UK, this affects global competitiveness.

To get the right skills, training is essential. Over 83% of businesses use external training but even more companies invest in on-the-job, in-house training. Training needs to be flexible so it fits around a company’s needs; both immediate skills requirements and longer term needs that will help the business adjust to changing circumstances. Competencies, often as much as actual qualifications, are what matters to a business.

70 per cent of the UK workforce of 2020 are already over 16 and in the workplace. Yet almost half of all adults are not fully numerate and 5 million adults have difficulties with literacy. This does not compare favourably with other competitor countries such as France and Germany, nor newer competitors like China and India. The UK also lacks technical, scientific and management skills.

Training current employees is important for businesses and the UK as a whole. Just as important is ensuring that young people leave school with adequate skills for working life. This is a priority for businesses who find they have to train their staff in even the most basic skills, but also for the Government.

The raft of qualifications and training courses available can be confusing for businesses but changes are happening to make it simpler for businesses to understand.

To find a course click here.