Skills shortages are being experienced in the forestry and construction industries, according to fresh research.
Lantra, the land-based industries sector skills council, said businesses in the forestry sector are struggling to recruit people with the right skills and fear losing customers if they cannot improve staff skills.
The organisation, which represents the forestry sector in skills and training development, also said employers find it difficult to access suitable training and almost impossible to obtain funding.
A survey by the Chartered Institute of Building found that 91% of its members questioned anticipated a skills shortage beyond 2005, while 65% felt the current workforce was not sufficiently skilled.
The research, undertaken in the past three months, showed 79% of respondents experienced recruitment problems during 2004/05, with the biggest difficulties in the crafts and trades sector.
Mike Marchant, group secretary of the UK Woodchain, which represents the wood-using industries in skills and training development, said: “We need more skills in supervisory functions and more training opportunities in management and at operative levels. We need to recognise there’s a completely new set of skills required for the industry.”
