What are the main skills issues and concerns in the Facilities industry?
Training within this sector has been informal. Recent Skillset research highlights a worry that the traditional sources of suitably skilled labour (i.e. BBC or ITV trained) are drying up. And the sector has been challenged to find new ways to fund its training needs.
Skills issues and concerns in Facilities can be split into four areas affecting businesses every size across the different sub-sectors.
Technological changes - The change to high definition and from video tape to networked media meant retraining costs and many other challenges.
Lack of engineering skills - In manufacture and broadcast the average age of an engineer is over 50. Engineering roles in automotive and construction are frequently better paid and more attractive for graduates. Broadcast engineering courses have also proved unpopular with students in recent years, which has also not helped to addres this skills gap.
New Entrants poorly adapted to the workplace - As well as new entrants showing a lack of basic skills such as numeracy and literacy, employers have referred a mismatch between what newcomers have learnt and the reality of the industry.
Lack of business management and innovation skills - Managers themselves admit to reluctance to invest in their own skills, as well as those of their staff. When training does take place it is for the most part spent on software and equipment training, rather than on personal professional development.
These are the sub-sector specific skills gaps and shortages that Skillset's research has highlighted:
- Outside Broadcast - Vision engineers and other high caliber technical staff .
- Studios with Equipment and Equipment Hire - Vision Engineers; Productions assistants (particularly in Manchester and the north of England); Pyrotechnic stage hands; IT technicians / engineers; high definition technical staff; Electricians in equipment hire.
- Post Production - IT competent staff with knowledge of file based media; Business skills around sales, negotiation and client management.
- Special Physical Effects - Staff with combined technical and artistic skills are highly. Due to the great breath of skills needed to work in this sector, recruitment is continually a problem.
For more information on our research work, please visit Skillset's Research pages.