Passenger transport employees lack basic skills

An extensive survey into basic skills among passenger transport employees in the UK by ORC International on behalf of GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for passenger transport, has revealed that a quarter of passenger transport employees lack basic skills. English firms were found to fare worse in comparison with Wales and Scotland.

The study was designed to provide greater insight into the skills gaps that exist across the UK, specifically basic numeracy, literacy, IT and communication skills. Over 1,000 individuals, both employees and employers, were surveyed. The research also shows that the perceived importance of basic skills varies across roles within the passenger transport sector.

Even though drivers and mechanics/technical staff are most commonly seen as lacking basic skills, a large number of respondents feel that management and administrative staff are in a greater need of basic skills training, particularly IT knowledge.

A third of respondents stated that they do not train in numeracy, literacy, basic IT or communication skills. Twenty per cent said they do not have any basic skills needs. A large proportion of employers believe the basic skills gap will increase in the next five to 10 years. Predictably, respondents feel the main barriers to training in basic skills are the lack of time and funding. Early detection of this growing problem is crucial in curtailing this potential pitfall.

Additionally, over half of the respondents in the telephone survey agreed there is a need to address basic skills among employees for whom English is a second language. The on-site results highlight that the language barrier between native and non-native English speakers is a problem for many companies.