UK workforce “stagnating” says international charity VSO
07/09/2009 09:00:00
The recession is de-skilling the UK workforce, the international development charity VSO warned today, as new research revealed that more than ten million Brits worry they are stagnating professionally.
Recession fuelled pay cuts, slashed training budgets and stalled promotions have left just under half of the UK workforce struggling to develop as planned, with one in six worried they have lost between one and two years’ development time.
Judith Brodie, VSO’s UK Director urged public and private sector employers not to be shortsighted when it comes to investing in employees’ professional development and to consider sabbaticals as a cost-effective alternative. She said:
“Maintaining a skilled and motivated workforce is tough during the recession however companies must not neglect staff development. Investing in a good workforce is central to surviving the recession and will accelerate recovery post-recession. Employers must think strategically and look to companies such as VSO for creative, cost-effective development opportunities. Not only will placements challenge, motivate and re-invigorate, their skills can make a dent on global poverty and even save lives."
VSO’s latest research found that nearly two fifths of the UK’s 28 million workers were questioning their vocation as a result of the recession, with one in ten already thinking about volunteering to escape career stagnation.
Current VSO volunteer Martyn Fawdry, previously a Policy Manager at the Cooperative Bank, is in Nigeria on secondment for a year as an Organisational Development Manager. He said:
“The recession did not put me off volunteering with VSO. Employees who take on fresh challenges such as VSO continue to learn and are the ones who prosper in adverse conditions such as recession. They have experienced the highs and the lows of VSO and learned to adapt. Employees who stick to the same routine and don’t take on new challenges are not only more vulnerable to redundancy, but also find it harder to bounce back when redundancy materialises. I was lucky my employer was so supportive of my secondment and I am sure they will make good use of my enhanced skills when I return."
The research kick-starts VSO’s autumn recruitment drive with the charity needing to recruit 330 volunteers with health, education, business, communications and advocacy backgrounds. Whilst enquiries to the charity have doubled in the last six months, this hasn’t resulted in an increase in applications, especially from the health and education sectors. Those surveyed cited expense as an issue however VSO pays for flights, accommodation and even offers a daily allowance.
VSO projects run from shorter two weeks secondments to two-year placements and include a range of skilled roles including nurses, primary teachers and advocacy officers.
Ends
For more information please contact:
Louise Hill
0208 780 7410, 0750918478
louise.hill@vso.org.uk
or
Rachel Trayner 0208 780 7265, 0750918478 rachel.trayner@vso.org.uk
Supporting photo gallery and video footage is available.
The press office can also provide:
- Interviews with Judith Brodie and Martyn Fawdry
- Interviews with volunteers currently oversees with VSO
- Interviews with volunteers who can talk about the impact volunteering has had upon their professional development
Editor's notes
- As a VSO volunteer you are provided with flights, accommodation and an allowance to cover basic costs. UK public sector professionals volunteering for between six months and two years are entitled to claim pension contributions providing they return to the public sector for a minimum of six months on their return to the UK
- An average initial application of interest to VSO takes just 20 minutes to complete - please call 0208 780 7500 or click here for more details
- VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Since 1958 over 33,000 volunteers have worked in over 120 countries. Today there over 1600 international volunteers working in 42 countries around the world.
- VSO recruits volunteers from a wide range of professional backgrounds. The strongest need is for experienced managers, professionals with experience of working in primary education, advocacy, communications and marketing specialists and doctors and midwives. VSO can use financial professionals where they have strong planning or management expertise.
- VSO needs to raise £10 million each year in the UK in order to continue its vital work: working through volunteers to fight poverty in some of the world's poorest communities
Statistics
The research for VSO was carried out online by Opinion Matters between 12 / 08 / 2009 and 20 / 08 / 2009 amongst a nationally representative sample of 1018 UK adults aged 16+. Opinion Matters adheres to and follows the codes of the MRS (Market Research Society) and are fully registered and compliant with the Data Protection Registrar.
National Research
- 38.5% - workers who feel they are stagnating professionally
- 14% - workers who have considered volunteering because their skills aren’t being developed
- Affordability – the main reason people wouldn’t consider volunteering to develop their skills
- 29% - workers who say skills are what make you more indispensable/employable in the recession
- Almost half of the nation think that the recession has reduced their opportunities to develop in their career
- 50% of people report that there are limited opportunities to get promoted in their current employment
- More than a third of people feel that they are stagnating professionally
- A fifth of people are considering a previously unplanned change in professional direction
- Over 15% of people feel that the recession has resulted in more work but a slowing rate in their professional development
- More than one in ten people have considered volunteering as a way of rectifying the fact that they feel their skills aren't being developed fast enough
- Two in five people believe that volunteering will add to their professional 'value' on their return to the job market
- One in ten people think that they would be earning 11-30% more were it not for the recession
- Over a third of people are unhappy with their current professional progress and want to feel fulfilled again
- 17% of people think that the recession has set their career development back between one and two years
- 16% of people think that they would be earning 6-10% more if it wasn't for the recession
