Sharpening skills pays dividends

Many SMEs fail to align their training requirements with their business needs and lack the review and development policies more often implemented by larger organisations. Decisions on training, when they do occur, are often made at an operational rather than at a strategic level and can be ad hoc, resulting in a poor return on investment. Yet this doesn’t need to be the case, and it is interesting to note that companies that have invested in relevant skills training over the past 12 months have been more than twice as likely to have experienced business growth according to our research. And it reinforces the message that companies who invest in skills training are more likely to increase their competitive advantage and their ability to react during difficult times.

Employee development also helps retain key staff at all levels with most people preferring to remain where they experience professional and personal growth. This is not the time to lose vital talent.

Solutions to skills gaps

It is our task at Proskills, your Sector Skills Council, to help you address skills gaps and to provide solutions that will help businesses build the skills infrastructure needed to facilitate that business growth.

Investing in training can help increase productivity, which will cut operating costs, improve staff morale and assist the research and development of new products and service offerings. All of which will help gain a competitive advantage in the global market.

To continue successfully representing the packaging and paper industries, it is vital that we fully understand the skills-related issues. Proskills will continue lobbying government and support businesses in addressing their skills requirements and training needs. - and, for this, we need employers’ co-operation.