British managers are confident about their ability to recover from the economic downturn but need the government to offer them tax breaks to develop the skills of their workforce.
That is according to research carried out by Chartered Management Institute (CMI), which revealed that some 85 per cent of British managers believed tax breaks would help them invest in the skills base of their workers.
Commenting on the importance of government support for businesses, Lord John Eatwell, chief economist at the CMI, said: "Business managers are convinced that a skilled workforce will be an integral part of the recovery process, and are recommending that, especially in these difficult times, government should provide further financial support for skills development and training."
Lord Eatwell suggested that such support would help the UK to emerge from the recession in a position of strength.
He implied that managers’ optimistic outlook should be "cherished" and encouraged through government support.
A recent survey conducted by KPMG found that 43 per cent of students valued training above job security when searching for employment.
I’m finding this a bit hard to stomach. There’s LOADS of free training for employees where companies don’t do anything except arrange study time and day release. Yet still they want more!
The financial incentive for better trained staff is better business, surely?
I don’t hear business asking for tax breaks to buy new kit which might improve their business, or new marketing initiatives – why do they think they deserve it for training their staff, on whom the success of their enterprise may well depend. It seems to me that it’s time business considered their own responsibilities towards their staff, their communities and let’s face it, to their shareholders who would be the ultimate beneficiaries from a better skilled, better trainer workforce delivering better performance and presumably better profits.