Public-sector workers 'lack skills for private sector'

Wookster

Public-sector workers 'lack skills for private sector'
By Alistair Dawber

As hundreds of thousands of public-sector employees face losing their jobs after the Comprehensive Spending Review, a leading recruitment company has warned that many such workers are ill-prepared for a move into business.

Hays says more must be done to ensure that newly jobless public-sector workers have a clearer understanding of what skills and experience is needed to make the transition to the private sector.

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According to the survey of 1,435 public-sector workers and 348 employers, 85 per cent of candidates coming from the public sector are considering seeking work in private businesses, says Hays. It concluded that they will need professional support if they are able to find work in what remains a very challenging environment.

Among employers, more than 90 per cent of those surveyed go as far as to say that public-sector experience is "not very important" or "not important at all" when hiring staff. This may come as a shock to the third of workers who believe their public-sector background puts them at an advantage, says Hays.

Some 22 per cent of public-sector employees fear their background will put them at a disadvantage in the private sector, says the research. Their fears may be well-founded, with 46 per cent of company bosses saying that previous private-sector experience is very important when hiring.

"Many public-sector workers face an uncertain future," said Mark Staniland, the managing director of Hays Career Transition Services. "To make themselves attractive to the private sector, candidates must understand how their skills and experience are relevant."

A clearer picture on how many public-sector jobs will be cut is likely to emerge this week, after the Government has outlined its spending review.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/publicsector-workers-lack-skills-for-private-sector-2109410.html

Not surprising sadly.

Perhaps this will be the death knell for a life long career in the civil service.

A breadth of commercial as well as other experience can only be beneficial.

dori2o

Not everybody is a CS lifer though. Myself for example, I'm a time served sheet metal worker, I just don't do the job as I cannot stand for long periods due to helth problems, but if it comes to it, I can fall back onto that trade.

There are loads of people I work with that have other skills outside the CS.

The majority of CS staff can and will find work in offices if they were forced out of the CS, of that I am certain.

This is nothing more than scaremongering.

carolt

Wookster wrote: »

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/publicsector-workers-lack-skills-for-private-sector-2109410.html

Not surprising sadly.

Perhaps this will be the death knell for a life long career in the civil service.

A breadth of commercial as well as other experience can only be beneficial.

I have worked woth some astonishing incompetents in the private sector - hasn't everyone?

This kind of kneee-jerk public sector = BAD, private sector = GOOD is just laughable.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

dori2o wrote: »

Not everybody is a CS lifer though. Myself for example, I'm a time served sheet metal worker, I just don't do the job as I cannot stand for long periods due to helth problems, but if it comes to it, I can fall back onto that trade.

There are loads of people I work with that have other skills outside the CS.

The majority of CS staff can and will find work in offices if they were forced out of the CS, of that I am certain.

This is nothing more than scaremongering.

A majority of those who have gained employment in the Public sector over the last 10 years have private sector experience.

They just joined the public sector for what was seen at the time as better long term employment probabilities.

Old_Slaphead

dori2o wrote: »

The majority of CS staff can and will find work in offices if they were forced out of the CS, of that I am certain.
This is nothing more than scaremongering.

I'd be surprised if you're right here. There are precious few (well outside of London anyway) permanent office job vacancies and those that have them will be hanging on to them. There's certainly not the facility to accomodate tens of thousands of ex-CS jobseekers. Better hone your call centre skills.

dori2o

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

I'd be surprised if you're right here. There are precious few (well outside of London anyway) permanent office job vacancies and those that have them will be hanging on to them. There's certainly not the facility to accomodate tens of thousands of ex-CS jobseekers. Better hone your call centre skills.

As I said, I have no need to. I have a trade behind me that I can jump into, it's whether my health issue will allow me to do so. The other option is to retrain into the 'family' business, plumbing and heating.

I know enough to do most of the work involved anyway having worked with my dad and brother at various times over the past 15 years, I just don't have the tickets or experience on Gas.

There are jobs out there for those who want them bad enough.

If worst comes to worst then I have to get agency work, doing anything office based. Working in a call centre is not a problem as that is what I do anyway.

Sir_Humphrey

Heureusement, j'ai l'aptitude de trouver du travail en plusieurs pays.

Je peux aller à la France ou la Belgique si j'oublierais mon occupation.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Heureusement, j'ai l'aptitude de trouver du travail en plusieurs pays.

Je peux aller à la France ou la Belgique si j'oublierais mon occupation.

I can go to France or Belgium if I forget my occupation.



Alzheimers settling in now?!:eek:

Sir_Humphrey

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

I can go to France or Belgium if I forget my occupation.



Alzheimers settling in now?!:eek:

Of course, I meant perdrais.

Generali

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Heureusement, j'ai l'aptitude de trouver du travail en plusieurs pays.

Je peux aller à la France ou la Belgique si j'oublierais mon occupation.

I guess you're not considering starting up Sir Humphrey's International Translation.:D

More seriously, I would imagine that most public sector workers would only have skills that could get themselves an entry level job in the private sector just as I only have skills that would get me the same in public service.

The problem however is that it seems highly likely that there will be a lot of former public sector employees at a lose end pretty soon who will be looking for something to do.

Sir_Humphrey

Generali wrote: »

I guess you're not considering starting up Sir Humphrey's International Translation.:D

Someone who used to have my post moved abroad and does exactly this. But he has fluent French, German and Berne dialect German.

I am far from fluent in French, but it is no worse than the English of many Eastern Europeans working here. It may suffice for some work. Also, I would not need an income for at least two and a half years so I would have plenty of time to bring it up to speed to get a better job.

I have met so many people from Western Europe that work outside their home country that it seems an entirely desirable thing to do if this country turns to s***.