The future of skills: navigating a changing landscape

A diverse group of business leaders, educators, and industry experts gathered to tackle a pressing challenge – the evolving skills needs of the modern workforce. The Growth Hub Round Table, delved deep into the complexities of recruitment, training, and the transformative impact of technology.

Janine Smith, Director of the GM Business Growth Hub, set the stage, highlighting the primary concern facing businesses today: “The number one challenge that businesses face is around recruitment of the right people and skills challenges to then enable those businesses to grow.” 

She emphasised the crucial role of the Growth Hub in connecting organizations with local skills providers and addressing specific regional needs.

The discussion quickly turned to the diverse challenges faced by the participants. Donald Moore, chairman of One and All, spoke of the importance of recruiting for values, noting, “We recruit on values. So that’s always been a challenge, you know, finding people with the right behaviors and values.” 

Martine Moore (no relation), from 6tine, a specialist business development consultancy, echoed this sentiment, adding, “Keeping the team motivated and focused” as a key hurdle in her company.

The conversation then shifted to the construction industry, where Nicola Hodkinson of Seddon Construction highlighted challenges posed by the apprenticeship levy system, which she described as “a one size fits all” approach that fails to address the unique needs of the construction industry.

As the discussion delved deeper, the transformative power of technology emerged as a central theme. Phil Wedgwood, a software company owner, sounded a note of urgency, warning, “Businesses don’t understand the importance and the power of AI and the latest technology sets and what it means to be at the forefront of business and innovation.” 

He went on to predict that “80% of most office-based jobs can be done by AI,” a prospect that sparked a lively debate among the participants.

The legal and financial sectors were not immune to these technological shifts. Robert Maddocks of Berman’s Solicitors acknowledged the potential of AI tools, stating, “It’s a tool that we can utilize to make ourselves more efficient to pass on the cost savings to clients.” However, he emphasised the continued importance of human interaction, noting, “I still think that ultimately, to be that person that a client places trust in to get the best advice is unique and will carry on.”

Similarly, Stewart Haworth of Oak North Bank highlighted the need to develop robust learning and development frameworks to empower his team, acknowledging the challenge of keeping pace with the rapid advancements in technology. “The real challenge we’ve got now is actually developing that learning and development framework to allow people to progress within the organisation and put some of them kind of skills in there,” he said.

Similarly, Chris Emery, from In House Legal Solutions, discussed the importance of finding the right people and developing their skills within his legal services firm. He explained that as a relatively young business, they focus on bringing in people at the university or work experience level and then developing them through the paralegal and trainee solicitor stages. Emery noted that “it’s about people having the right fit, and how can you best develop them?”

The discussion then turned to the critical role of leadership and emotional intelligence. Donald Moore asserted, “Emotional intelligence will be more and more important, much more important than IQ, and I think that probably paves the way to more female leaders, which would be a really good thing.” 

This sentiment was echoed by Matt Carr of Cars Pasties, who spoke of the importance of creating a culture where “when we work together, life gets better” and the need to invest in skills development and training.

Liz Gorb, the strategic adviser to Manchester Metropolitan University’s sector leading apprenticeship programme, provided an academic perspective, highlighting the challenges faced by the education system in keeping pace with industry needs. “The problem there is a lot of the employers are saying to us, well, we can’t use what we’re using for level seven, you know people with cyber security experts, you know all these kind of people, and replace them with people doing filing, because those jobs have been automated, or, as you’re saying, they’re going to be done by robots.”

The conversation also delved into the importance of inclusive recruitment practices and the need to support neurodivergent individuals. Ben Willis from EY emphasized the value of neuro diversity, stating, “Actually if you do the right things by people that are neuro inclusive, actually it benefits a whole group of other underrepresented groups.”

Throughout the discussion, the participants highlighted the need for a holistic approach to skills development, one that encompasses both technical and soft skills. Adrian Bird, from Aspire in Partnership, stressed the importance of emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate diverse work environments, noting, “There’s a real piece of work to be done there as well. So because, again, as organizations, you won’t be getting the best out of those individuals if you’re managing or leading them in a way that isn’t conducive to their thought processes and patterns.”

The conversation also touched on the role of leadership in fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. Matt Carr shared his vision for the “Carrs Academy,” a mix of in-house and external training programs aimed at empowering his team. “We want everybody to feel equal and belong here, and we want everybody to grow together with fearless and dedicated to our roles,” he said, emphasising the importance of a bottom-up approach to skills development.

Martine Moore echoed this sentiment, describing her team’s monthly training sessions where “it’s not like me teaching them. We’re doing it as a team. And then people sharing best practice, and I feel like that’s worked really well.” This collaborative approach to skills development was seen as a powerful way to engage and empower the workforce.

As the discussion drew to a close, Janine Smith summarised the key takeaways, highlighting the critical role of digital transformation and the need to address the specific skills challenges faced by different sectors, particularly construction. “If the country in Greater Manchester is to achieve what it needs to achieve in terms of its economic growth, we need infrastructure. And you optimistic, are we going to do it? If you look at, yeah, I mean, if you look at, we’re in the right place.”

The Growth Hub Round Table underscored the multifaceted nature of the skills challenge facing businesses today. From navigating the impact of technology to fostering inclusive leadership and collaborative learning, the participants shared a common goal: to build a workforce equipped to thrive in the rapidly evolving business landscape. As Phil Wedgwood aptly stated, “If you can’t engage with the audience, you’re not going to get very far.” By embracing this holistic approach to skills development, businesses in Greater Manchester and beyond can position themselves for long-term success.