BOSSES across Dorset are being asked what skills shortages are holding back their businesses.

The Dorset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), funded by the Department for Education, is a drive to review the county’s training and align it to the needs of employers. 

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber – which is delivering the initiative – said: “The LSIP is going to be a review of training provision that employers need now and for the future to help businesses grow.”

The plan will set out the priorities and changes needed to make post-16 technical education and training more closely aligned to local labour market needs.

Mr Girling said the aim was to “undertake this in a really constructive and positive manner”.

“We have a really good relationship with training providers. We certainly don’t see it as a stick to beat anyone whatsoever. It’s going to be a really positive review of provision,” he told a launch event at Merley House near Wimborne.

May Palmer, managing director of Wimborne-based builder Harry J Palmer Ltd, told the event that vacancies were at a record high in the industry, but work in the south west was expected to grow by an average of 2.5 per cent annually.

She said the sector had relied heavily on European labour which had been cut off by Brexit.

“Our feeling at Harry J Palmer is that schools are not encouraging students to go into construction – they’re painting construction as being the least exciting career out there,” she said.

“Many young people are simply unaware of the jobs that fall under the umbrella of construction.”

Jamie Sergeant, chief executive of Bournemouth-based agency Crowd, said: “It’s amazing how many people that go for roles with us have no ability to commit and show up on time.”

He said Covid had changed the workplace and remote working meant that new hires “may never leave your bedroom or your parents’ house for some years”.

He claimed there was a problem with “entitlement” among some candidates. “How do you take someone that can’t take criticism? Some education around that, for us, would be a massive advantage," he added. 

Howard Gunstock, chief executive of Carbon Kapture, called for more emphasis on "soft skills".

“How do people understand how to apply information and communicate information from another person’s perspective? I think we’re massively lacking empathy across the board,” he added.

Raina Summerson, chief executive of Portland-based community care business Agincare, said there was a challenge with negative perceptions of the care industry.

“Nationally, a lot of it is around trying to change that narrative, get respect, get rewards, get recognition and stop everyone banging on about the awful stuff that‘s happened rather than the good stuff,” she added.