With new avenues constantly opening up for businesses, the need for the development of new skills amongst the workforce is a growing concern worldwide.
A recent study conducted by PwC revealed that three-quarters of CEOs in all parts of the world are struggling to find the skilled workers they need for business development, and ranked this issue as their number one impediment on the success of future operations. Particularly worried countries included Japan, China and Hong Kong, with roughly nine in 10 businesses in these nations naming this as a vital business issue. This stresses the need for focused solutions that can be implemented in this region to avoid spillover effects.
Over in Australia, concerns are still high in specific industries. For example, construction is facing an urgent need for workers, as NBN Chief Executive Bill Morrow told The Australian in an exclusive June 26 interview.
In an effort to combat these issues, Morrow and many other leaders have put in place more intensive training programmes and have begun cross-training potential candidates from other industries. While another solution often used in times of skills shortage is to go offshore, Morrow stated this was the "last thing" he wants to do as he believes this will be bad for the local economy.
However, not all businesses have the resources to implement these plans and this leaves many smaller businesses in the lurch when it comes to upskilling their staff. With limited time and money, the solution for these businesses must be efficient and cost-effective to ensure success.
Skills shortages are a common business issue that requires creative and flexible solutions, such as HR management software. Tracking the current skill base and exposing the exact size and nature of these gaps in skill is essential for the entire ongoing training process.
Thorough analysis allows for efficient allocation of training resources and keeps the workforce of a company up to date with the continuos demands and changes of their respective business without being put out of pocket for their efforts.