BCC and Barclay's LifeSkills report lays out blueprint for future-proofing the post-pandemic workplace
British Chambers of Commerce
Foreword
During its 161-year history, the British Chambers of Commerce has repeatedly made the point that uncertainty in the business environment has negative consequences for both our economy and our society. It makes returns on investment harder to judge. It drains the time and resource of management. It makes the job security of employees more fragile.
Few events within BCC’s lifetime – with the exception of two world wars – have created business uncertainty on the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic. Well over a year on from the discovery of the virus, it is still having a profound impact on firms up and down the country.
This report describes how this pandemic-led uncertainty has affected the ways in which businesses have managed their workforces, and how it may permanently change how they are managed in the future. Our findings were the result of conversations with Chamber of Commerce members from across the UK. Many familiar themes emerged, such as ensuring staff wellbeing and the need to address skills gaps. But these themes were set in a drastically new context because of the pandemic.
The hope is that this report’s conclusions can be used by businesses, educators and policymakers alike to understand more about how the UK
workforce can be futureproofed so as to remain dynamic, productive and globally competitive. One participant in the research suggested that the post-pandemic business environment should be described as the “next normal”. It is a term that perfectly describes the situation that businesses currently find themselves in. Although many things will return to how they were once the pandemic is over,
some things will have undoubtedly changed forever.
Barclays LifeSkills
Foreword
The LifeSkills programme aims to help all people in the UK, whether that is a young person preparing for their first job, or someone wanting to progress
in their career.
Since it began in 2013, the programme has supported youth employment by raising the confidence, motivation and aspirations of millions of young people making the move from education into work. More than 12.4 million people have now participated. In 2019, the programme was extended to the whole of the UK workforce. The aim was to ensure that workers of all ages have the opportunity to continue to develop their skills throughout their careers.
The LifeSkills partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce is an important part of helping the programme understand more about how businesses are managing their workforces, and what skills support they wanted in the future.
The LifeSkills programme has already made several adaptions in response to the challenges brought about by Covid-19, and the insight from these sessions will help the programme continue to ensure its supporting skills development. More than 60 brand new tools, resources, virtual lessons and workshops have been launched, to assist teachers and parents in delivering remote and home schooling, as well as advice for adults on essential upskilling and making changes to their working lives.
The findings of this report demonstrate why these tools were needed, and as new challenges develop in 2021 the LifeSkills programme will continue to adapt and support the UK workforce.