Half of Companies Report Skills Shortages

Employers urged to invest in modern skills training and check it is working

Almost half of United States (US) employers are struggling with a skills shortage. Meanwhile United Kingdom (UK) companies claim a lack of available skills has cost them £6.3 billion. Questionmark, the online assessment provider, is urging employers to invest in effective workplace training to secure the crucial modern skills they need to thrive.

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In the third quarter of 2021, 47% of US businesses reported struggling with a lack of crucial skills. This has risen from 32% in the previous quarter according to research by the National Association of Business Economics. UK companies claim that recruitment processes are taking longer due to a shortage of skills in the marketplace. Many organizations are being forced to hire at a lower level than they intended, according to the Open University’s business barometer.

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Neil McGough, General Manager of Questionmark, said: “Employers need modern skills now and it’s clear that they will struggle to get what they need without a focus on employee skills development. Ensuring that workers have the essential modern skills for today’s business environment means investing in workplace training. But to do this effectively, leaders must be sure they understand what kind of training is required, which team members need support and whether the training is working.”

Online assessments enable employers to gain real information on strengths and weaknesses across the workforce. They can quickly see which skills are missing and what the priority areas for training should be. By testing participants before, during and after training, employers can be confident that it worked.

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The Questionmark enterprise-grade platform makes assessment content easy to create and adapt. The platform automatically marks papers and instantly compiles results. It is easy to spot trends and patterns. When the stakes are high, the platform provides a range of anti-cheating measures.

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