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management & education news

THIRD HAVE RECEIVED NO ‘RESURGENCE’

IN-WORK TRAINING IN LAST FOR OIL AND GAS
UNIVERSITY COURSES
FIVE YEARS, REPORT FINDS

MORE THAN A THIRD of working-age
people in the UK have received no
in-work training in the last five years, a
report has found, which experts say is a
“wake-up call” ahead of more restrictive
immigration rules.
SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES HAVE CITED
The poll of 5,000 people over the age A RENEWED CONFIDENCE IN THE SECTOR
of 18, conducted by City & Guilds and
YouGov, found 34 per cent had either UNIVERSITY CHIEFS HAVE hailed
received no training in the last five a “resurgence” in applications to
years or had never received any. This oil and gas courses in Aberdeen
equated to an estimated 17.8 million THE CIPD SAYS THE RESULTS ARE A WAKE-UP CALL TO BUSINESSES following a sharp drop during the
people in the UK, according to a report downturn.
in People Management. are struggling to access the skills they Interest in such courses dropped
The report also found 60 per cent need. Brexit and the new immigration by the thousands amid the decline in
of respondents (equivalent to 31.3 policy are only going to exacerbate oil price, but according to application
million nationally) believed their skills many of these problems,” she said. figures revealed by Energy Voice,
were underutilised, and just 33 per Crowley added that while many demand is on the rise again.
cent felt positive about their future businesses might not be investing A total of 9,303 applications were
career prospects. in skills and training as a result of made for the 2014/15 academic
Lizzie Crowley, Senior Skills Policy focusing on shorter-term profits, year at the two universities, just
Adviser at the CIPD, said the results were employers failing to address their skills preceding the crash, before dropping
a “wake-up call” to businesses, showing gaps might find it increasingly difficult annually to a low of 4,899 in 2018.
the need for them to strategically invest to launch new products and services, However, a rebound last year saw
in existing staff to plug potential skills with this ultimately affecting the total applications reach 5,265 across
gaps. Crowley said employers should bottom line. both institutions.
conduct skills audits to maximise the The report found people from lower Aberdeen University said
abilities employees have that might be socio-economic backgrounds were factors including the oil downturn
underutilised currently. much less likely to have received and subsequent recovery have
“We’ve got an incredibly tight labour training in the last five years, as were impacted applications, with recent
market at the moment and employers those working part-time. growth also due to its “enduring
appeal” as a leading provider of
energy-related programmes.
Meanwhile, Robert Gordon
MORE THAN A MILLION University described the
“resurgence” as showing “renewed
SENIOR ROLES ARE confidence” in the sector.
Alix Thom, Workforce Engagement
NOW PART TIME and Skills Manager of industry
body Oil and Gas UK, said: “Our
ONE IN SIX MANAGEMENT or senior local universities play a key role in
level roles is now worked part-time, attracting people to the energy sector.
according to research from flexible “We know that there could be up
THERE IS STILL A CEILING ON THE
working consultancy Timewise. AVAILABILITY OF PART-TIME ROLES to 10,000 new roles required in our
Its annual Power 50 list of executives industry in exciting new areas of
who work part-time contracts estimates appear in the list are men. This data science, analytics, automation
that there are one million part-time proportion has doubled since the first and new materials, all of which will
employees who earn more than £40,000 Timewise Power 50 awards in 2012, be highly valued and transferable
(full-time equivalent salary). reports Personnel Today. skills.
Its analysis of the government’s But while Timewise applauded the “With this in mind, and also that
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings increase in higher-earning roles that around 40,000 new people will
also shows that more than 500,000 are being worked part-time, it noted be needed in our sector by 2035,
earn more than £50,000, and 360,000 that there is still a ceiling on the our focus must be on developing
earn more than £60,000. availability of part-time structures in a diverse, multi-skilled and
This year, a fifth of those who senior roles. technology-enabled workforce.”

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