Investing in skills to drive growth – is your organisation fit for the future?

Dora Timar, Senior Manager of Recognitions and Frameworks, City & Guilds reflects on the smartest investments businesses can make in skills to stand out, to stay relevant and to succeed.

11 January 2022

Training and skills development are no longer ‘nice to have’. They are imperative for business survival and success.

As Sir Richard Branson once famously said: ‘Train people well enough so that they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.’

This has never been truer, and the pandemic has added extra pressure to the skills crisis, creating the perfect storm for most organisations.

According to a LinkedIn Learning survey conducted in 2020, 94% of employees claimed that they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their development. Yet, only 27% of learning and development (L&D) professionals report that their CEOs were actively championing learning within the organisation.

So why is there such a disconnect?

A skills development shift – what is driving this and why?

The pandemic hasn’t stopped people from changing jobs. In fact, people are now hungrier for progression and personal development than ever before.

This presents numerous challenges for most organisations who have to re-assess their learning and development offering against the current climate:

• Companies are on the hunt for the same skills, qualifications and personal qualities.
• Businesses can’t re-skill fast enough, either because of the evolution of technology or because of the financial uncertainties the pandemic has created. This forces employers to poach ‘ready-made’ talent from other organisations.
• Recruiting people based on attitude and potential, rather than on a specific set of skills, is becoming a trend. Which also means that further training is then essential.
• Diverse and inclusive work environments, where opportunities to grow, upskill or re-skill exist for all, are high in demand.
• Attracting and retaining talent is increasingly challenging and so is keeping employees are fully engaged.

Recognise achievements to become “future fit”

Historically, many organisations have conveyed a reluctance to invest in in-house training which is recognised externally, out of concern that their most valued staff could leave or be head-hunted. While this concern may be valid in some respect, the benefits can far outweigh the risks.

Businesses are realising that the smartest way to get fighting fit on all fronts is to offer high quality training, relevant to their organisation, and to recognise learning and skills.

And that’s what’s driving us, at City & Guilds. We work with organisations who have committed to investing in skills to set themselves apart as forward-thinking, aspirational and striving for excellence.

Through our Recognition Services, we validate training and skills programmes against the global standards of excellence we have set. We also offer a range of flexible tools, using digital credentials, to help organisations recognise achievements.

In simple terms, we help them bring out the best in their people in a way that’s right for them so that they can compete and grow.

In fact, we think of ourselves as the global L&D personal trainer for organisations. Organisations come to us because they have unique challenges which require tailored solutions. They are looking for personalised expert advice, from a supportive partner, so that they can achieve their goals.

What connects these organisations is that they have made skills and skills recognition a core part of their strategy to get future fit. But getting fit is not the end game. It’s by remaining future fit and constantly evolving that they will stay ahead of the game.

If you are ready to start your ‘future fit’ journey or just want to find out more about what we do, visit our Recognition Services page.