Britain is full of highly educated workers with skills that do not match the jobs available, meaning a large chunk of the labour force is failing to match its potential, a new report has found.
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It is not just up to the learners to ensure they have the skills to meet demand, employers also need to take responsibility for training their workers,” said OECD labour market economist Katharine Mullock.
“There is evidence the share of employees receiving job-related training has declined over the last 15 years in the UK, and that it is low relative to other OECD countries.”
She suggested that unions should also be more involved in designing training to make sure it does not merely suit a worker to the task of the day at their employer, but helps to boost their career over a longer timeframe.
Workers facing redundancy should get extra funds to re-train in an industry or skill of their choice to avoid long-term unemployment and prevent towns or regions becoming depressed, the IPPR said.
“The main priority for the UK should be lifelong learning. It is really important individuals have the opportunity and incentive to upskill and re-train, [learning skills] that are not attached to a particular employer,” Ms Mullock said.
