There’s no getting away from the fact that the skills shortage we saw in 2022 will continue and most probably worsen in 2023 as talent flows away from businesses in pursuit of pastures new. Although there is no one route cause, from the cost of living to the pandemic, stress to scarcity, there is one clear solution.

Employers and training departments need to cement staff retention by offering higher staff skills development and progression opportunities that enable them to grow within the business they are in.

Boosting commitment and productivity in this way will enable businesses to reduce staff turnover and improve the wellbeing of their staff. You can explore the role of wellbeing in staff retention further here.

Employers have always been wary of upskilling staff because they feel freshly skilled staff will leave the business - but this is a myth that I have always sought to dispel. Having worked on developing training programmes for the likes of Nissan UK, The Ritz, the NHS, and other smaller SMEs, I’ve found that the opposite is true. Investing in the training of staff gives them the portable skills they need to move within the business and not move out of it.

The question is, how do you choose training which actually helps retain staff and boosts productivity?

Here are my top three tips:

1. Choose portable skills

These are the skills your team can carry with them throughout your organisation rather than ones for specific roles and desks.

These skills may be collected together in courses like Entrepreneurial Ventures or Business & The Business Environment. Or they me be explored with deeper insight such as:

·       Leadership and Management

·       Budgeting and Business Planning

·       Project Management

·       Coding and Web Development

·       Cyber Security

Portable skills will enable staff to tackle and manage the challenges of the business year head-on whilst delivering growth for your business.

2. Promote higher skills development

Many reports show that younger employees are looking for progression in the workplace and want to be developed to operate at a higher level.

Although qualifications at Level 1 - 3 may be available, it is rare to find training at Level 4 and above. Level 4 is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree and will show staff you’re taking the long-term approach around workforce development, encouraging them to stay. You can find fully funded Level 4 skills on our Aspire London programme, and fully funded skills at Level 1- 3 through our Dagile programme.

Fully funded learning will also encourage new talent into the organisation that may not have always had access to this level of learning.  

3. Flexible online learning

Learning online is the new preference of staff who’ve reaped the benefits of hybrid working following COVID-19.

Improved work/life balance is the new key to success and trumps the grind culture of yesterday. Increasingly employees are looking for training which blends face-to-face learning and online access giving them the flexibility to learn around existing commitments, both at work and at home.

If you want to explore training opportunities for your staff, and boost your business in 2023 you can discover more here.

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