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Improved careers support
13/03/2009
A more tailored approach to careers advice is being developed with the aim of increasing the employability of people across Scotland, it was announced today as the Scottish Employers Skills Survey 2008 was published.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will be delivering a refocused range of careers services to all individuals, designed to improve awareness of their own marketable skills and attributes and deliver better access to services and support.
SDS's Career Management Skills will develop:
- a continuing career service for all, supporting people to build their own career management capabilities
- a particular focus on building employability skills, targeted towards those people who need the most support to make successful learning and work transitions
- a career guidance service with more ways to access support, enabling users to choose the right mix of SDS resources to meet their career planning needs
The Survey showed:
- Establishments cited 'cash flow' as the challenge that was most likely to need addressed in the coming 12 months, with the 'downturn in the economic climate' coming next
- 'Attracting appropriately skilled staff' and 'attracting new customers' were both second order challenges
- Vacancies can be hard-to-fill for a variety of reasons. These include applicants lacking the necessary skills, qualifications and experience. But they also include employers' perceptions of applicants' attitude and motivation. Where hard-to-fill vacancies occur, they have a significant impact on business in terms of increased costs, meeting customer service standards, quality and innovation
- Where skills problems arise this is mainly because of weaknesses in softer core skills such as planning and organising, customer handling, problem solving and team working
- Very small firms have higher rates of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill shortages than larger firms. Very small firms are also less likely than others to train their staff
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop said:
"Although this survey was completed when the effects of the global turndown were not yet at their most severe, economic challenges were certainly at the forefront of employers' minds. During the downturn, we are determined to use every means available to us to ensure that individuals, businesses and organisations receive the help they need in dealing with these pressures.
"We are providing help through our Economic Recovery Programme, we are also slashing business rates and from next month tens of thousands of small businesses will pay nothing at all.
"The Scottish Government is already tackling many of the issues raised by employers through our Skills Strategy and we have also created a Strategic Forum, which brings together Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Visit Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to discuss how best to progress skills and employment in the most coherent way.
"In uncertain economic times, having access to the right support on how to find and keep a job is more important than ever. People need to know what employers are looking for in order to secure and retain work. Additionally, such knowledge will help people in managing their own career development. This new support available to individuals from SDS will be invaluable in helping people to build exactly these capacities.
"It is crucial that we equip our workforce with the right skills to reach their potential and so they can play their part in Scotland's future economic success, including helping it recover from the current downturn."
To see what help is available to employers and individuals during the downturn log onto http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/help
2. A full copy of the findings can be found here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/labour-market/national-context/employers-views