Two thirds of workers want to boost their skills this year

New research shows that more than two thirds of workers want to boost their skills this year – and Telford College is involved in a new campaign which is seeking to make it happen.

The Government’s new Skills For Life campaign is urging employers to ‘join the skills revolution’, and is aiming to help businesses gear up for economic recovery by upskilling their workforce.

The campaign highlights the range of support and funding available for businesses wanting to boost their workforce capabilities, including apprenticeships, traineeships and new soon-to-be-launched vocational qualifications, T Levels. 

Telford College has put together a wide range of both full and part-time courses which are included in the campaign – all designed to promote lifelong learning.

They include courses across multiple levels in subjects such as IT, accountancy, maths, warehousing and logistics, and ‘skills bootcamp’ projects targeted specifically at the HGV sector.

There are also a range of apprenticeships, and several pre-employment courses which support those who are looking for sector-specific training in other areas where skills gaps have been identified.

Graham Guest, Telford College’s principal and chief executive, said: “There is a real appetite at the moment for learning new work skills, and we want to help local employers to make the most of this.

“Over the next three years, the UK Government will invest £3.8 billion in further education, and at Telford College we are playing a key role in supporting adults to seek out lifelong learning opportunities – and helping businesses to plug their skills gaps at the same time.”

A Censuswide survey reveals that workers are feeling more optimistic about career goals compared with last year – with more than two thirds believing that new skills will help them achieve their career goals. 

Prominent industry voices have spoken about the importance of skills to drive better results and retain their workforce as part of the Skills For Life campaign.

They are joined by an alliance of influential employers from a diverse range of sectors including Mastercard, Openreach, Heineken, BT, AstraZeneca, Virgin Media O2 and many more.  

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi MP said: “It is no secret that a skilled and motivated workforce is the key to driving better performance and boosting productivity. 

“There has never been a better time to make skills a top priority. To support businesses to unlock untapped talent there is a huge range of training available to help upskill their staff for free including online courses to boost numeracy to apprenticeships, traineeships, T Levels or our Skills Bootcamps.”  

Theo Paphitis, the businessman, entrepreneur and former Dragons' Den star, is another of the big names backing the campaign.

He said: “A successful company wouldn’t be anywhere without skilled employees who are passionate about what they do and want to learn more every day.

“It’s so important that people know there are free, flexible tools out there to help them take that next step in their career or jump across to a whole new challenge, and for employers who want to upskill their workforce.”