Political parties urged to focus on skills growth and employment market

Political parties are being urged to focus on skills growth and creating a robust employment market in the lead-up to the General Election.

Responding to the news that there will be a General Election on the 4^th of July 2024,

Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at APSCo, commented, “The UK has been waiting for the date of the General Election to be announced and the uncertainty has impacted business confidence to some degree.

“While the improving economic conditions aren’t as optimistic as economists and Prime Minister Sunak would have wanted, it is certainly promising for staffing firms across the country and puts an end to the electoral uncertainty.

“APSCo has been prepared for this and we launched our own Manifesto in April, which all major parties are aware of and have been speaking to us about.

“Our hope having engaged with policy makers is that campaigns between now and the election are built on the foundations of a strong labour market that improves access to skills immediately and in the long term.

“Data that is accessible to APSCo through its members continues to reveal a concerning level of skills shortages in several sectors. We’ve seen the number of people applying for jobs in critical remits such as healthcare, engineering and IT fall consistently throughout 2024.

“If any party wants to win the votes from the staffing sector, they will need a clear plan to boost the professional labour market. That must include caveats to build domestic talent, improve access to highly skilled international workers and support the flexible segments of the workforce through fair and appropriate legislation.”

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