Multiple changes to the skills system, varying quality training and resources and an evolving working environment mean that UK business struggle to find the right people for their teams. Chamber research shows that over half of UK businesses say the time taken to fill average vacancies is longer than five years ago.
The Chamber Network is working with government, businesses, academics and employees to address these crucial issues by focusing on three key areas:
An analysis of the UK skills landscape
The economic shocks that have buffeted UK business over the past couple of years have led to tougher trading conditions and intense competition for skills.Faced with these challenges, businesses have demonstrated outstanding resilience but their recovery, productivity and growth are being held back by a critical shortage of workforce skills.
Amazon is creating 10,000 new permanent jobs and investing £10 million across the country to train their staff in skills that are in short supply in the local economy, via their Career Choice programme.
Accredited Chambers of Commerce will have the opportunity to work with Amazon to identify regional skills shortages ensuring training is focused on local needs.
The company will provide classroom-based learning through Amazon Career Choice, as well as exploring opportunities with the Accredited Chamber of Commerce network to provide practical work experience and mentoring in employees’ chosen future professions.
The 10,000 new permanent jobs that Amazon will create in the UK this year will include roles in both its corporate offices and operations network. Corporate roles will be available in offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cambridge across a wide range of fields including:
This UK-wide, policy-led Commission examined the skills system from the employer’s perspective and focused on the needs of adults in the workplace. It covered:
The Report makes recommendations for policy makers and employers on how to make the skills system more effective. During the Inquiry, our Commissioners issued a Call for Evidence and a progress report.
Contact Jane Gratton for more information.
Few events within BCC’s lifetime – with the exception of two world wars – have created business uncertainty on the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic. Well over a year on from the discovery of the virus, it is still having a profound impact on firms up and down the country.
This report, published in partnership with Barclays Life Skills, describes how this pandemic-led uncertainty has affected the ways in which businesses have managed their workforces, and how it may permanently change how they are managed in the future.
Our findings were the result of conversations with Chamber of Commerce members from across the UK.
The hope is that this report’s conclusions can be used by businesses, educators and policymakers alike to understand more about how the UK workforce can be futureproofed so as to remain dynamic, productive and globally competitive.
This national initiative opened the doors of Chambers and businesses to their local communities, providing a chance for people to see first-hand the range of different career paths on offer in local businesses.
Chambers tell us that businesses across the UK are struggling to attract and retain homegrown talent, and that school and college leavers aren’t aware of the job prospects in local firms. Chambers of Commerce are uniquely placed to help their local communities thrive and introduce them to the career opportunities in local companies.
Business Showcase Days also helped Chambers build connections with local schools and colleges and position Chambers at the forefront of harnessing and developing local talent.
The third phase of the campaign will be to support business in the recruitment and retention of a skilled and diverse workforce. Our research found a 39% increase in the number of employees requesting flexible working arrangements compared to two years ago. The flexible working initiative will provide firms with the guidance and resources to create modern, flexible working environments for all employees.
The focus is to enable firms to recruit from a wider talent pool and retain workers who might otherwise leave the business by helping firms establish their own flexible working policies.
Together our campaign will celebrate, support and develop the people at the heart of our business community.
There are numerous ways to get involved, so get in touch with the Chamber team today!
Reacting to today’s interest rate decision by the Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Businesses will be giving a cautious welcome to today’s decision by the Bank of England to hold the base rate at 5.25%. Constant hikes in the cost-of-borrowing have had a hugely detrimental impact on the firms we represent. "
If we are to meet the challenge of making the UK Net Zero by 2050 then we must have pragmatic goals, that business can be confident they will be supported to reach. Companies want to address climate change but cannot plan for future investment if the sands keep shifting.
Campaigners, including the BCC, have worked for years to have the Electronic Trade Documents Act passed, and its introduction is a huge milestone.
Today’s CPI rate of 6.7%, while proving stubborn, shows that inflation is continuing to gradually ease off. Producer price inflation (PPI) fell by 2.3%. This should give the Bank of England pause for thought with the interest rate decision tomorrow.
