Bridging the skills gap: empower your workforce with continuous learning
Discover how HR professionals can bridge the skills gap by adopting a continuous learning framework that breaks down essential skills into manageable steps, allowing for ongoing assessment, development, and measurable growth
The nature of work continues to shift and organisations are being forced to address a fundamental skills gap in their workforce. According to recent research from McKinsey, 58 per cent of businesses said that closing skills gaps had become a higher priority since the pandemic.
You might assume this 'gap' refers to technical skills, but it's actually about essential skills – universal soft skills such as problem-solving, listening and teamwork – that help workers thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments. These essential skills differ from basic skills, such as literacy, numeracy and digital competence, as well as from technical skills, which are specific to certain roles or sectors and can quickly become obsolete.
Research suggests that people with higher levels of essential skills experience higher social mobility, employment, earnings and job satisfaction. On an economic level, the cost of low essential skills to the UK in 2022 was £22.2bn – comparable to the cost of low numeracy. Yet, according to the CIPD Good Work Index 2023, 23 per cent of workers surveyed disagreed that their job offered good opportunities for developing skills.
