Recruitment of young people is vital to avoid a skills crisis in the UK, say Govia Thameslink Railway and The Prince’s Trust after new research was released today.

The report shows that almost half (47%) of the 1,004 surveyed employers agree there is currently a skills shortage across the UK.

Three quarters (73%) said the recruitment of young people is vital or they risk facing a skills crisis across their sectors.

The ‘Futures at Stake 2020′ report states that a ‘crisis is looming’ with 59% of employers saying they struggle to recruit people with the skills their organisations need.

The train operator is already helping to tackle the skills gap in the transport sector with their Get Into Programme, which is run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust.

77% of course participants have moved into permanent jobs at the company as a result.

What did the officials say?

Patrick Verwer, Chief Executive of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said:

“We’re proud to have helped more than 180 young people struggling to find work through our partnership with The Prince’s Trust. The course gives them experience in business, builds their confidence, and inspires them to build a future for themselves. We have diversified our recruitment approach to give more young people better access to jobs and a career in rail.”

Dame Martina Milburn, Group Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust said:

“Young people are key to solving current skills shortages and avoiding a future skills crisis. However, some employers use recruitment processes that make it hard for them to fill vacancies, as well as making it hard for young people to get their first job. It is vital that employers start thinking about recruitment differently.”

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