British Chambers researching skills shortages in the workplace

British Chambers of Commerce have launched their 2023 Workforce Survey to provide the national business community with an opportunity to share their current experiences in terms of skills gaps/shortages with a view to ensuring that policies are in place to help businesses access the skills they need to thrive and grow in 2023 and beyond.

The Workforce Survey is one of British Chambers ' most influential thematic surveys and is especially important this year with skills shortages high on the political agenda.

The anonymous results will be shared directly with UK Government Ministers and Officials and will be considered when significant policy decisions about the UK workforce and skills planning are being made.

The key focus areas of the survey include: understanding the impact of skills shortages, employer interaction with the skills system, flexible working, what types of training work best, and the impact of changes to the National Living Wage.

Gemma Dilkes (pictured), policy and projects officer at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “this survey is crucial to ensuring that national policymakers understand the nuanced challenges that businesses are facing in terms of accessing the right talent and facilitating flexible and remote ways of working post-pandemic.

“Ensuring that local residents have the skills to access meaningful opportunities, and that local businesses can access the talent they need to grow is of particular importance in the West Midlands, where we have higher than average unemployment and below average levels of business productivity, driven in part by recruitment challenges.

"The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce continues to work collaboratively with national and local stakeholders and businesses to tackle these issues. I highly encourage interested readers to contribute to this survey to have their views heard."

The survey is currently live and can be accessed by clicking here.