Sackings soar as skill drought worsens, WM research reveals

A lack of quality candidates is forcing firms to shut production lines and turn down new business, the survey found. Forty four per cent of sites reported suffering downtime because of a skills shortage. "It took me six months to recruit a manufacturing and quality manager, holding the business back," one respondent said. "We have had supposedly skilled CNC operators come to us but they struggle when faced with something different or challenging. They either find an excuse not to carry on or make simple errors due to a lack of knowledge," another respondent added. Manufacturing managers were showing incompetency short shrift, the research revealed. Critical job errors were cited as the top reason for sackings, accounting for 30% of dismissals in the past year. Poor punctuality, verbal abuse and disregard for health and safety rules were also common reasons for dismissal, the survey found. Frustration over a lack of quality centred on skilled shopfloor and experienced engineering positions, the survey found. Nearly 90% of sites said skills shortages had shown no improvement in the past year. "There's an inability of skilled shopfloor personnel to find solutions to basic engineering problems," remarked one respondent. "We've suffered downtime when our machines stood idle waiting for the next shift where employees have the necessary skills to operate them," another added. Despite the skills frustrations nearly 40% of businesses have no plans to recruit an apprentice. Reticence over the quality of applicants and business uncertainty were named as the most popular deterrents. Enthusiasm and numeracy were the most sought after qualities for businesses looking to hire apprentices. To view the full findings click the link below: