This Is Guernsey

By Gemma Hockey

A SURVEY by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has revealed a lack of specialist skills in the finance sector.

The survey, which was launched last year, attracted 30 responses from organisations employing in excess of 5,800 staff in Guernsey. The institute’s Kathy Armstrong presented the results at its annual meeting.

She said the companies which responded to the survey had 294 vacancies. ‘Applying this figure across the finance and legal sector indicates about  610 open vacancies,’ she said.

She said more were expected to be revealed by respondents. ‘An additional 210 finance and legal-sector jobs are anticipated, suggesting an additional 560 vacancies arising, with a potential staff shortage of 1,200 over the next 12 months.’

The finance and legal sector formed the highest proportion of respondents, making up 37.5% of the survey results.

There were only four from the retail sector. More than 2,600 public services sector staff replied.

Nearly 1,500 vacancies were filled last year in those businesses that responded to the survey.

These included managerial staff, skilled workers in trust and fund administration, qualified accountants and administrative and secretarial.

The most popular means of recruitment were through newspaper advertisements, the internet and corporate websites.

‘Recruitment agencies were omitted from this survey, but are widely used in the island.

‘This statistic will be sought from any subsequent surveys taken.’

Ms Armstrong said there was a great need for employees to learn new skills and obtain qualifications through in-house training and courses offered by their employers.

As many as 70% of respondents said the reason for difficulties in filling vacancies was a lack of specialist skills.

Ms Armstrong said industry had attempted to tackle the problem through a number of initiatives, including offering flexible hours, recruiting from the UK and ‘appointing people who have the potential to grow’.

Of the reasons for employees leaving a company, pay was the one cited most often.

She said the committee hoped there would be a stronger response to this year’s survey.

‘We sent it to every member and it was accessible on our website,’ she said.

Article posted on 21st May, 2008 - 2.30pm