Make education and training a New Year priority

I have long been an advocate of training and this month, training is a continuing theme. In our January issue, the EDA (Electrical Distributors’ Association) tells us that it’s been a record year for the Association’s education and training programme while this month, we also announce two new training categories for the Electrical Wholesaler Awards.

A Workforce Training in England survey presents compelling evidence as to the power and value of educating staff.

– 46% of employees felt training had increased sales/turnover;

– 38% saw improvements to staff retention;

– 49% saw improvements in labour/productivity, and

– 47% were experiencing better profit margins.

I don’t think any employer these days expects a youngster to walk into a job with all the right credentials. But many are expressing concerns over the lack of basic literacy and numeracy skills that are needed in the world of work. CBI (Confederation of British Industry) data shows that seven in 10 firms want to improve school leavers’ employability skills.

Alongside international competitors, the level of training activity by UK employers compares well. Some 90% of UK employers provide training (the highest in the EU), while 81% of UK employers establish the training needs of their staff (the fourth highest I the EU). And more than three-quarters of UK employers assess the future skills needs of their organisation, compared to an EU average of 55%.

According to the CBI, however, the criticism is that while UK employers are high providers of training, the duration of that training is shorter than EU competitors. The average time spend on continuing vocational training courses in the UK is just seven hours – below the EU average and almost half the level in France.

Our staff are arguably, our greatest asset. As the New Year begins, investing in that asset can only be a good thing – both in terms of continued growth for your business and for UK plc as a whole. And while smaller firms are the least able to afford the cost or disruption caused by staff being on training courses, there is a great deal that employers can still do to instil a culture of learning and development in the workplace.

When it comes down to it, for most employers, their priority is arguably competence, rather than qualifications. Maybe 2015 will be the year when you achieve both.

A very happy New Year from the Electrical Wholesaler team.

Debbie Eales

Editor