A new research report has revealed that over a third of British SMEs decision makers believe that technology and innovation have led to a decrease in opportunities for unskilled workers to progress to higher paid roles.
The report, titled Education for a World of Opportunity, surveyed 1,500 decision makers from SMEs and found that 35% of them felt that the introduction of technology has led to fewer opportunities for unskilled workers to “learn on the job” and climb the career ladder.
The report also found that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this inequality, as the introduction of remote working has made it even more difficult for unskilled workers to access the training they need to progress.
According to the research, only 18% of SMEs decision makers said they had made additional investments to ensure their employees could access the necessary training during the pandemic.
This lack of investment means that SMEs are at risk of leaving their unskilled workers behind, meaning there will be a shortage of qualified people to fill higher paid roles in the future.
The report concluded: “SMEs need to ensure they are not leaving their unskilled workers behind as they strive for digital transformation, and make sure they are investing in training and development programmes to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn and progress.”
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