Tech sector activity gets a boost despite falling optimism April 30, 2019 Business activity growth in the UK technology sector has recovered to its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2018, while optimism fell to a 10-year low. The strength of business activity rose to 54.4 in the first three months of 2019, up from 52.3 at the end of last year, according to data from [...]
FTSE boards do not understand the threat of cyber attacks, government warns March 4, 2019 Boards at some of the UK’s largest companies still do not fully understand the potential impact of a cyber attack, the government has warned. A report into FTSE 350 companies published today shows that while almost all firms have a cyber security strategy in place, just 16 per cent of boards have a comprehensive understand [...]
Private sector pay set for growth as skills shortage bites February 18, 2019 Private sector pay is set to increase 2.5 per cent as skills shortages put pressure on employers. A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Adecco Group of pay and recruitment intentions at 1,254 employers in the first quarter of 2019 showed basic pay expectations in the private sector have increased [...]
Hacker stereotypes exacerbate UK’s cyber security skills shortage, warns NCSC February 11, 2019 Negative stereotypes about computer hackers are contributing to a skills shortage in the cyber security sector, according to industry experts. High-profile cyber specialists today warned the industry’s hackneyed reputation as a breeding ground for reclusive computer geeks is misleading and is putting promising students off a career in the profession. Read more: Huawei offers to [...]
AI deployment rockets as businesses seek competitive edge January 21, 2019 The number of organisations using AI has rocketed 270 per cent since 2015, a survey out today reveals. Firms across all industries are increasingly using artificial intelligence as they seek to gain an edge over competitors, research firm Gartner's 2019 CIO Survey found. Read more: Automation and AI are leading the UK into a new industrial [...]
Immigration after Brexit: Here’s how the City reacted to Sajid Javid’s white paper December 19, 2018 The government has outlined proposals for rules on immigration after the UK leaves the European Union next year, prompting a flurry of responses from business leaders across the City. Unveiled by home secretary Sajid Javid this afternoon, the document said low-skilled workers entering the UK from EU countries will no longer receive automatic approval to work in [...]
Small firms less upbeat as skills gap gets wider September 6, 2015 The supply of skilled workers available for London firms to hire is plunging at its fastest rate for 18 years. The skills shortage adds to the headache of small businesses, which have had a worrisome summer after the introduction of a national living wage and higher dividend taxes. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) barometer [...]
Skills gap is bigger threat than Brexit: Talent shortages to hit UK economic growth, warn finance chiefs September 4, 2015 Top UK finance chiefs are more unnerved by their lack of access to talented labour than they are by the threat of Britain leaving the EU, the Bank of England hiking borrowing costs or even the abrupt slowdown in China that has sent shockwaves throughout global financial markets. Fear over dwindling access to skilled [...]
The UK’s skills shortage is getting worse: It’s time for a shake up in the classroom and the boardroom September 3, 2015 There’s an elephant in the boardroom. According to a survey of the finance directors of many of the UK’s largest companies, it casts a greater shadow than China or Brexit or the hacking horrors of cyber attacks. It’s the new number one at the top of Britain's risk registers – the difficulty of recruiting [...]
Britain’s skills shortage: Train your temps – it’s a win-win for both business and employee September 3, 2015 A flexible workforce is key to 21st century businesses success. The UK economy has evolved since the recession and we have seen a new dynamism emerge emphasising employee flexibility. In fact, there has been a more than 20 per cent increase in the number of temporary workers in the past five years. Businesses know success [...]