Insights From DBC: Covid-19 Recovery
We find ourselves in a very strange point in history, I won’t use the word unprecedented, as we are 3 weeks out from the strangest GCSE results day ever (you can read what our Managing Director, Kerry Bentley, said about that here - https://www.dbc-training.co.uk/post/keeping-up-with-kerry-gcse-results) and are currently sandwiched between Covid-19 recovery and preparing for Brexit. Whichever way you look at it, 2020 has been a unique year.
As 2020 is a unique year it might just be the perfect time for some unique thinking and time for business to review their position in relation to low skilled, low paid labour.
While government attention has been focused on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) and introducing Kick Start Wage Incentives to encourage businesses to bring employees back to work there has also been activity in the background preparing for Brexit at the end of 2020.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has confirmed that post-Brexit there will be no distinction between EU and non-EU labour meaning that if your business relies on a workforce that is predominantly sourced outside the UK (for example, from Eastern Europe) then there will be new steps including:
1. The need for a sponsor licence
2. Increased costs
3. Barriers to entry into the UK
This will mean that there will be a huge impact on recruitment, talent management and workforce planning across a significant number of sectors but especially; agriculture, food & beverage manufacture, logistics, supply chain, warehousing, distribution and fulfilment centres.
The result of this, especially for the above mentioned industries, is a huge challenge to ensure that labour shortages do not become a long term issue and the answer to that predicament is right under our noses. Invest in the youth who find themselves bearing the brunt of the coronavirus unemployment spike.
Many of the sectors at risk of being most heavily impacted have suffered from old stereotypes and lack of real understanding about the career pathways that are available in sectors such as logistics or food manufacture.
By working with an approved training provider, like DBC Training, now is the time to be planning long-term organisational development strategies that invest in youth and also utilise government support, such as the apprenticeship incentive payments, which can help cover the cost of training via an approved Apprenticeship Standard.
By offering a clearly planned, well-structured and long term plan for career development businesses report lower staff turnover, increased internal promotion and reduced recruitment costs all through having a carefully planned Apprenticeship programme in place.
Apprenticeship programmes can be offered to either existing staff members who have been identified internally or to newly recruited individuals joining the business through our complimentary recruitment service. We offer progression pathways on our Apprenticeships from L2 through to L5 and beyond it is possible to offer a desirable package to attract, or retain, the best young talent from across the country.
So, as I started out by saying, we are at a crossroads and this is the ideal time to consider how your business will move forward in these never before seen circumstances (I still won’t say unprecedented). By investing a small amount of time over the coming months and utilising the government funding that has been made available you can prepare your organisation for future growth and success, now that doesn’t sound bad does it?
By Adam Barnes, Director of Business Growth.
