Catch up on the week in HR including the new HR challenge, age overrides skills in UK market, jobless count rises, government chastised over pensions and ex-offenders are source of new labour.
W/C 13/3/06
Culture change biggest HR challenge
The biggest HR challenge facing companies this year is implementing culture change.
This is according to new research carried out by employee benefits and technology provider, thomsons online benefits.
The biggest HR challenges cited in the two previous years research of controlling costs and complying with employment law had dropped to second and third positions respectively.
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Age overrides skills in UK market
Leading a UK business is a “young man’s job”, according to the chief executive of National Express.
Phil White will quit the company at the end of 2006 because he feels too old for the job, the Guardian reports.
He said that such a role was only suitable for a young person, suggesting that age is more important than skills.
“I do very much think the CEO's job is for a young man – not for someone in their late 50s. The world's a lot more competitive these days and people work a lot harder."
This has sparked disapproval from various organisations, notably the charity Age Concern, which challenged his statement.
“Someone's suitability to do a job is not based on their age but on ability and motivation. For most people in their 50s, there is no evidence that job-related capacity declines,” a spokesperson said.
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Jobless count rises
While the employment figure has tumbled over the quarter, the numbers out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has increased.
Official data from the Office of National Statistics shows an employment rate of 74.5% for the three months ending in January 2006, while the number of people in employment for the three months ending in January 2006 was 28.81 million, down 7,000 over the quarter.
The unemployment rate was 5.0%, up both over the quarter and over the year, reaching 1.53 million.
The claimant count has also swelled by 14,600 on the previous month.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said the figures were ‘worrying’.
“Employment is down, whilst unemployment, economic inactivity and involuntary part-time work are all up. Manufacturing lost 15,000 jobs between December and January, and 117,000 jobs over 2005. The Bank must surely now accept the case for a cut in interest rates, and the government should significantly increase investment in programmes that help the unemployed back get back into work.”
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Supermarket launches retail skills scheme
Sainsbury’s will be the first supermarket group to launch an apprenticeship training scheme for bakers.
Developed with the Sector Skills Council, the 18 month programme aims to improve the UK skills pool in the retail sector.
The course will train adults between the ages of 16 and 24, offering nationally recognised qualifications, in key literacy, numeracy abilities and technical skills. It begins next week as a pilot scheme in the north east of England.
Project manager for the apprenticeship, Julia Reed said: "We've recognised that the number of skilled bakers is sharply declining and in response we are launching this dedicated initiative to attract people back into the trade and hone the skills of our future bakers.
"The Sainsbury's Bakery Apprenticeship Scheme is a great opportunity for young people to develop a career in retail and underlines our commitment to giving people a better start in life."
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Graduate pool swells, offering employers further skills choice
The number of graduate applicants has risen, providing UK employers further choice over the quality of candidates available.
GTI publishers quizzed 430 graduate recruiters and found that most sectors of the jobs market had experienced a rise in applications over the course of the year.
According to the publishing firm, companies are increasingly providing work experience opportunities as competition for vacancies grows.
Over 80% of engineering organisations, 86% of IT businesses and 93% of law firms are now doing so.
For more on this story see: TrainingZONE
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Glass ceiling curbs female success
Skills don’t matter at the top, with women continuing to face workplace inequality, claims a new study.
A total of 1,200 executives from eight countries, spanning North America, Europe and Asia were quizzed as part of the study. According to the findings just 30% of females and 43% of males say that workplace opportunities are equal for both genders.
The research conducted by Accenture suggests that the ‘glass ceiling’ is still firmly in place. However, the same percentage of men and women respondents felt satisfied with their career opportunities and status.
For more on this story see: TrainingZONE
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Skilled workers lose out to age prejudice
Four fifths of European employees believe age plays a significant role in job prospects, a survey has revealed.
The study of over 12,000 job seekers across eight European countries found that the majority of those quizzed (60%) felt appropriate professional qualifications were less important than an employee’s age.
The research from online recruitment organisation Stepstone found that 40% believed it difficult for individuals over the age of 40 to find employment.
German respondents felt most unsure about the prospects for older workers, as over half admitted they would find it difficult to find new employment. Only 11% said that age was irrelevant to job prospects.
Norwegians felt most positive about opportunities for older employees. Only just over a quarter (27%) considered restricted prospects for more mature staff.
The DTI officially launched the new age discrimination laws last week. They are due to become part of UK law from October 2006.
