Recession 'offers chance to improve skills'

Employees concerned about job security during the economic recovery could benefit from building up their skills, according to recruitment experts.

Investing in training and other performance boosting measures could help staff to progress as the UK works toward the economic recovery.

In addition, for staff concerned about redundancy and the prospect of having to seek new employment opportunities, additional skills can help improve a CV.

Figures from VocaLink have revealed that pay rises are almost nonexistent in the current economic climate.

Its FTSE 350 Take Home Pay Index has revealed that private sector take home pay growth fell by 0.1 per cent to 0.5 per cent in the three months to February.

Take home pay is now at the same level as it was in 2010 – the lowest rate on record, according to the firm.

The disappointing figures are the result of declining wage growth in the manufacturing and service sectors.

According the index, three-month growth in the services industry fell by 0.1 percentage points to 0.6 percent.

In manufacturing, take home pay growth dropped to an all time low of -0.6 per cent.

Recruitment experts say the current period of pay stagnation is an ideal time for employees to invest in their own performances.

According to Jobsite, employers will remain cautious of pay increases in the near future, but preparing for career advancement later in the recovery could be beneficial.

A spokeswoman for the recruitment site said: "Progressive employees will use this period to build and invest in their own performance so that when businesses begin to increase pay, the evidence of career advancement can be demonstrated in their appraisals."

Seven Suphi says people concerned about the potential redundancy or cutbacks in their current jobs should take action to help them find new employment opportunities in the future.

The behavioural change specialist says employees should evaluate their current industry, the financial health of the company they work for, and whether their job is at risk of being automated our outsourced.

She said: "Stop worrying by taking action."

"If you believe your job is at risk then take the time to consider what you would like to do in the future and re-train before you have to - building your skill base can only be a good thing. If you really love what you do then consider where else you can do it, or so something similar to it."

Worries about future job prospects and financial security are affecting men in different ways to women, she added.

Male identity is connected to the traditional role of being the main breadwinner in a household, especially for blue-collar workers.

White-collar workers have more opportunities for development, whereas blue-collar employees may become more concerned about their ability to secure jobs and provide for their families.

Investing in additional training and learning new skills can only help to improve suitability for new employment opportunities and help workers to secure new jobs should redundancy become a reality.

In addition to boosting chances for future employment, adding skills and training to a CV can help career progression within a current role, improving chances of a pay rise as the economic recovery continues.

A wide range of distance-learning courses and can be found with the Open University. 

Workers also have a legal right to request time off for training – information can be found on the government’s Direct site.