Research conducted by the Learning and Work Institute has estimated that in England by 2030 there could be 5.1 million low-skilled people chasing 2 million low-skilled jobs; 12.7 million people with intermediate skills chasing 9.5 million jobs; and 17.4 million high-skilled jobs with only 14.8 million high-skilled workers.
That’s a potential deficit of higher-level skills in 2030 amounting to around 2.5 million people*.
In-work skills-development is changing – with learners looking for quick ways to close the gap between what they currently have to offer and what employers want and need – and there is a growing demand for university/higher level course units that help working adults upskill or reskill and importantly support their continued professional development.
So how do we work with our local workforce to reskill or upskill to ensure they are building and developing the higher-level skills which will be needed in businesses throughout Dorset in 2022 and beyond?
Micro-credentials could have an important part to play.
Micro-credentials are designed to upskill the workforce without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Learners can access up to 3 modules of a degree-level course(s) and be credited through work submitted and attendance. Micro-credentials recognise the learning outcomes of a short course or module and offer a very flexible yet highly targeted pathway to develop knowledge and skills for professional (CPD) and personal development – directly supporting reskilling and upskilling within the workplace.
At Weymouth College we offer a range of higher education courses – which potentially offer an in-work learner the opportunity to put in place a variety of micro-credentials. Our Foundation Degree Health and Social Care – delivered in Partnership with the University of Plymouth – for example, has modules in areas including safeguarding, organisational management, leadership/management and mental health and wellbeing which could all facilitate higher-level skills development.
If you are an employer looking to offer your employees, the opportunity to develop their workplace skills – talk to us today and find out more about how we can work together to build a skills-led future for the Dorset workforce.
*Local Skills Deficits and Spare Capacity, Learning and Work Institute, December 2019.
This article is featured in the May issue of the Dorset Business Focus magazine. Read on the online version here.