Employers need to engage with their staff in they want to solve their skills shortages, HR professionals have suggested.
Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development amongst UK employers has reported that where an organisation provides learning opportunities that support the needs of both organisation and employee, skills shortages lessen.
All employers will need to embrace this approach if they are to avoid facing skills shortages and compete successfully in the war for talent, the CIPD has stressed.
The research is based on 26 case studies, including GCHE, Surrey County Council and Transport for London.
Martyn Sloman, CIPD learning, training and development adviser, said: “Learning will only happen if individuals actually want to learn, and what or how they will learn depends on the organisation and individual themselves.
“Employers should encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own learning and make sure the relevant support is provided to ensure learning ties in with the business objectives,” he added.
Successful organisations were those that both persuaded and encouraged workers to learn.
“Employers must consider the organisational culture when managing learning to ensure line managers and those in the boardroom understand the business benefits of offering time and support to individual learning,” he said.