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Managers lacking skills, says Workforce Hub research

Finance | Gareth Jones | 29 Jul 2008

The skills gaps which have the greatest impact upon third sector organisations are at management level, according to new research from the Workforce Hub and NCVO.

Focus group sessions with third sector front line employers, followed by a workshop with infrastructure organisations, concluded that management skills were most important because they affect the whole organisation and its various stakeholders.

Strategic management and people management were considered to be the largest skills gaps, with both established and newly appointed managers suffering shortfalls.

Established progression paths required

Released this week, Third Sector Skills Research 2008 is a qualitative study based on the views of third sector employers from four English cities, alongside the findings of last year’s Voluntary Sector Skills Survey 2007.

It highlights a lack of an established progression path in many organisations, and warns against taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach due to the varied nature of organisations and the skills gaps within them.

During the discussions, small organisations were deemed more likely to suffer skills gaps due to the importance of trustees to the organisation and the need for staff to multi-task.

They also identified a recent push towards qualifications, though this was not always perceived as a positive thing, as it was felt formal training can lead to a more prescriptive approach which might not meet individual needs.

Lack of funding and lack of time for training were identified as the key barriers to skills development.

Improvements needed

Speaking about the findings, Janet Fleming, head of the UK Workforce Hub, called for a longer-term skills strategy for the sector.

“Good managers regularly identify skills gaps in their teams and plan to resolve them. We need people in voluntary and community organisations to share this good practice across the sector.

“We also need to persuade more funders and commissioners to build the costs of developing skills into grants and contracts.

“We will continue to lobby government for the establishment of a third sector workforce skills body, because this best way to influence public policy on skills and to ensure that colleges and universities deliver courses to meet the sector’s skills requirement.”

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