Business Leaders back vocational education
Research from Foundation Degrees reveals that UK plc values vocational qualifications highly and recognises the role industry has to play in the provision of such education, but is failing to take sufficient action.
The research shows that HR directors are leading the way, with 98% calling for industry to play a leading role in the provision of vocationally orientated education, as opposed to 84% of other directors. However, at present, only 25% of business leaders say that their company is involved in the design and delivery of vocational training.
Two thirds of company directors believe according to the research that their sector is feeling the effects of skills shortages, while more than half claiming that their own businesses have suffered directly.
Of all directors those in HR could be reasonably expected to support work-based learning, but the it is refreshing that so many other directors from all professions are recognising the benefits of vocational qualifications:
89% of all directors recognized that there was a clear link between vocational training and increased profitability, almost as many as the 96% HR directors who saw the link
88% of all directors also thought that training helps to build the skills of existing employees and leads to improved staff satisfaction. This is just six percent less than the percentage of HR directors who same the same thought.
When it came to getting a job in the first place 79% of all directors and 87% of HR Directors thought that work-based learning was excellent preparation for entering the workplace.
The research claims that the public view vocational qualification as the “poor relation” of academic qualifications, UK businesses are demonstrating a strong commitment to the concept of work-based learning.
More than half of all directors and 70% of HR directors who did not have vocational qualifications when they started their careers believe that having one would have been beneficial.
Despite this more than a third of HR directors state that their training budgets do not allow them to support vocational training for employees. The research says that this is because over 20% of finance directors who allocate training budgets are sceptical about the benefits of off the job training.
However, most companies claim to be doing their best to redress the balance of skills. 80% of companies are willing to support staff by offering them time of work to train, while more than 60% of companies will also pay for such courses. However, if companies were to play a greater role in the design and delivery of such courses, the return on this investment is likely to increase.
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