Maximising the productivity of staff has been identified as the most-needed management skill in the woodworking sector, according to new research.
The need was highlighted as the biggest gap among management skills by 36% of 104 employers (British Woodworking Federation members) surveyed by CITB-Construction Skills.
Winning new business and general selling skills (29%) and keeping up with health and safety skills (29%) were also highlighted.
BWF members also agreed that understanding the implications of green issues and not having sufficient IT skills were also important.
A further 32% also stated that their management team’s ability to identify the training needs of staff was an area that needed improvement.
Green and low-carbon issues are also increasing in importance, with 16% more employers seeing the need to deliver sustainable practices.
“The results of the research clearly shows that BWF members are aware of the challenges currently facing them and the wider industry,” said Mark Farrar, chief executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills.
“The sector is still going through testing times, and management and supervisory skills will be crucial to helping businesses to prepare for the upturn from 2013.”
CITB-ConstructionSkills will use the data to shape the solutions it offers to the industry.
