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50 per cent rise in number of employers struggling to find skilled workers

Figures released last week by the British Chambers of Commerce show a fifty per cent increase in the number of employers reporting difficulties recruiting staff with the right skills.

A comparison of the BCC’s biggest economic survey between 1994 and 2004 has shown an increase from 29 per cent in 1994 to 43 per cent last year. The figures are taken from two surveys of over 6,000 businesses, conducted ten years apart.

David Frost, Director General of the BCC, said: "Employers tell us all the time that they are frustrated that young people are not equipped with the right skills for the workplace. The system is simply not providing potential employees with the right skills for business and our figures show it has been failing for many years.

"The skills of our workforce are already lagging behind many of our global competitors. The Government must implement lasting reform in its proposals next week or our competitive edge could be seriously harmed. Businesses cannot wait any longer."

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