FSB NI calls for reconciliation of educational pathways and employability skills
NORTHERN Ireland’s largest business organisation has called for the need to reconcile higher and further education pathways to skills required by employers, following figures released yesterday showing that non-graduate roles are being saturated by graduates.
Research for the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), published by the Independent revealed that 58.8 % of UK graduates have ended up in non-graduate jobs – a figure surpassed only by Greece and Estonia.
Responding to the figures, FSB NI Policy Chairman Wilfred Mitchell OBE said: “Over a third (37%) of SMEs in Northern Ireland have cited lack of availability of skilled staff as a primary barrier to growth. This coupled with yesterday’s CIPD figures reveal the need to reconcile pathway offerings within higher and further education with the skills deficit being faced by employers throughout Northern Ireland.
“It is critical to the future of the Northern Ireland economy and our SMEs that investment in further and higher education, in addition to apprenticeship schemes is preserved.”
He concluded: “Liaising with businesses, higher and further education provision can identify the most appropriate educational pathways required for employability and growth in various sectors.”
