Briefing note: Which industries face the biggest skills challenges?

The Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards (FISSS) is the representative body of employer-led, sector skills bodies. These in turn represent the viewpoint of some 180,000 employers on the UK’s skills needs. This briefing note presents key data on the big skills challenges facing the UK economy. Importantly it is organised by industry sector so that comparisons can be made. Taking a long-term view on skill shortages, the paper compiles data on the themes of automation, the ageing workforce, Brexit, staff turnover, pay growth, working from home (a proxy for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) resilience), and gender balance. The aim is to identify long-term and transformative trends that will shape the future of skills. The standout point from this exercise is that different sectors face different challenges.