Make sure it pays for Brits to work
SORT SKILLS SHORTAGES
IT pains me to say it but some of our most senior bosses are coming up with the wrong answer to solving Britain’s labour shortage.
On the one hand, they’re complaining about a lack of people and the skills needed to fill job vacancies. Yet on the other hand, they seem reluctant to fix the problem by encouraging people to work.
Many business leaders are instead suggesting immigration should be increased to fill the so-called shortage of UK workers.
Director-general of the CBI Tony Danker, inset, has called for fixed-term visas to fill vacancies. The boss of high-street giant Next has also called for the Government to make it easier for foreign workers to enter the UK.
This is not the right answer because all it will do is provide a temporary sticking plaster (although I accept that immigration in moderation can contribute to Britain’s success).
From where I’m sitting, there’s certainly no shortage of Brits, although persuading them back to the workplace is a different matter.
When benefits are sometimes higher than what you’d earn in a low-paid job, it’s inevitable that some people stay at home. Instead of keeping people dependent on handouts, I’d rather we put more effort into offering the tools and training they need to earn a living.
So here’s a tip from the Mullins school of thought. When I founded Pimlico Plumbers, we set up an apprenticeship scheme that offered people the opportunity to develop skills that would set them up for life. Once they qualified, we offered them contracts that enabled people to provide for themselves and their families – by doing a vital job paid way above the national average.
Business leaders and politicians will tell you they are already committed to providing better training and more apprentices.
But in the words of one of my favourite songs, I’d like to see a little less conversation and a little more action, please.