Skill worry for public sector staff
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Workers in the public sector are uncertain of their job prospects as managers have grown in confidence and skills during the economic downturn, according to one recruitment firm.
Badenoch & Clark said most workers in the sector were not looking to change jobs but that many feared they did not have the skills to progress or move to a private firm.
However the firm, which surveyed 1,000 workers in the public sector, said managers had grown their skills base and confidence during the downturn.
Nicola Linkleter, managing director of Badenoch & Clark, said: "It is clear that there is a great deal of uncertainty in the public sector at the moment. Our research shows that on the whole people want to stay in the sector, yet have very real concerns over their prospects in the job market if their hand were forced.
"There appears to be a worker/manager divide in skills confidence within the public sector, as public sector managers have emerged with far more confidence.
"The process of cuts and the re-evaluation of workplace priorities, which the public sector has undergone over the last six months, have resulted in the development of a specific set of important management skills. Such skills leave managers adept at coping with a more dynamic, stretched and fast paced working environment.
"Workers must now see the cuts as a possibility for the development of crucial time and people management skills, coupled with an understanding of the vital importance of clear communication in times of crisis."
May 2011
Copyright Press Association 2011
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