How will your business benefit from custom programmes in the UK?

Companies in the UK need to innovate and adapt to a changing business environment that’s getting more and more global. Upskilling employees to meet the demands of a digitally-focused era is no longer a luxury but a necessity for companies big and small.

The Open University Business Barometer in 2019 found that three in five senior business leaders surveyed, 61% report the skills shortage has worsened over the past year.

The report stated, “Employers are paying a high price to ensure their organisations have the skills required to remain productive, with the shortfall now costing an extra £6.33 billion a year in recruitment fees, inflated salaries, temporary staff and training for workers hired at a lower level than intended.

“With skills in short supply, many senior business leaders (70%) find that the recruitment process is taking longer – by an average of one month and 22 days. As a result, nearly two in three (64%) report spending more on recruitment, with costs increasing by 49% or £1.23 billion in total.”

Additionally, approximately half of organisations (47%) said they are not as agile as they need to be due to a lack of skills, and in a changeable political, economic, and technological climate adaptability and flexibility are essential.

“Management and leadership skills are particularly important for navigating change smoothly, yet nearly three-quarters of employers (73%) have experienced difficulty in hiring for these roles in the past 12 months, which is cause for concern.”

This was before the pandemic struck, and the loss of financial revenue in the past few months has hit recruitment even harder.

Instead of hiring new talent, businesses in the UK should look within and upskill employees and managers with skills like agility, innovation, flexibility, and adaptability to survive a turbulent economic landscape.

One way to drive your business forward and foster your staff to develop these skills is to look into customised programmes by business schools as they offer bespoke training solutions.

These programmes are tailored to an organisation’s needs and goals, designed in collaboration with your business to hone in on specific challenges you are facing.

According to The Economist, “The company as a whole may not always benefit from one-time ad hoc training for individual employees. This is when a company’s HR director or Chief Learning Officer might look to customised programmes, in order to foster the collective advancement and evolution of an entire organisational culture and its capacities, and perhaps to serve as a catalyst for organisational change and transformation.”

Top custom programmes for your business in the UK

Businesses in the UK benefit from access to some of the best universities and business schools in the world such as London School of Economics that offer high-quality and impactful custom programmes.

A number of highly-ranked business schools offer custom programmes in the UK, so shop around and find out which programme meets your needs and budget.

Business schools like Nottingham University Business School have worked with companies of all levels, from start-ups to multinational organisations to drive sustainable business growth in the digital era.

Your business will also benefit from schools that are research-intensive, as they draw on cutting-edge research to bring new ideas to your business – such as Imperial Business School. 

Some schools such as Cass Business School offer fully customisable packages in certain areas such as leadership, finance, and personal development, along with one-to-one executive coaching.

Once you find the best custom programme for your business to equip talent of all organisation levels with the necessary skills needed for sustainable growth and digital transformation, you will be able to drive your business forward and see tangible results.