Our untapped talent can reach new heights

I KNOW all too well from my time as president of the British Chambers of Commerce about the worrying labour shortages many companies are facing and the impact this is having on their productivity.

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There is a debate to be had on the rights and wrongs of allowing more migration so companies can source skilled staff from overseas as a quick fix. But the underlying priority needs to be improving how we upskill our own workforce from school leavers and all through working lives.

We must never forget about the untapped talent who just need the right support to achieve great things. Massive progress has been made with transforming the quality, and public and business perceptions, of work-focused training and this momentum must be maintained. Engagement is on the up and we need more employers to invest.