Businesses struggle to find right staff but don’t think about training their own

Three quarters of UK business owners struggle to find the right employees according to new research.

Recent research shows that employers are still struggling to find the right kind of people to work with, with 70 per cent of companies saying that they struggle to find the right individuals to fill vacancies.

When asked why they struggled to find the right people 67 per cent said the candidates did not have the correct skills for the job, while nearly half  said they did not have the work ethic they were looking for. Interestingly even though 55 per cent of respondents said that there was a skills shortage in their industry, only 28 percent had taken on an apprentice.

Although the apprenticeship scheme was established in the UK over 50 years ago, it seems that for some SME business owners, taking on an apprentice isn’t an option.

Lyndon Wood, CEO and founder of constructaquote.com, said: “Our findings show that despite many small businesses in the UK struggling to find the right skills for their companies they are still reluctant to take on apprentices.

“Apprenticeship schemes aren’t just for building trades or hairdressers, these days apprentices can be in any sector. It is a great scheme that can help upskill your workforce and teach them about your business and industry.”