In the latest quarterly survey by the East Midlands Chambers of Commerce, 66% of employers said they were struggling to recruit. In an interview with BBC Radio Leicester, Chris Hobson, from the policy team at the chambers, stated that unemployment was low in the county and the jobs that were being created didn’t marry up with the skills being taught at school.

We were invited on to BBC Radio Leicester to share our reaction and comment to the quarterly survey statistics and supposed ‘skills shortage’.

Listen to the interview with Jemma Redden on BBC Radio Leicester above. Here’s a summary of the interview…

“To some degree there is a skills shortage but not to the extent being expressed here. There are some industries creating jobs where the skills don’t match but this is a small number. But in our research with young people, who assessed the job section on company websites, we found that two out of three businesses do not offer entry level roles.

“So my question to businesses is, are you lacking skills or are you asking for experience? Because the two are very different.

“There’s a gap for young people who are caught in that catch 22 – no experience, no job scenario.

“If companies are struggling to recruit then a company is often failing to attract. Four out of five businesses fail to promote themselves as an employer.”

Listen to the interview to hear our top three tips for employers.