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Bridging the skills gap: Get it right and the rewards are immense

MKBLP chair Nicholas Mann.

Employers have a pivotal role to play in narrowing what MKBLP chair Nicholas Mann brands the ‘stubborn skills gap’.

THE MILTON Keynes Business Achievement Awards 2025 have launched with a theme that resonates deeply with the challenges faced by many businesses in our vibrant city: the need to close the skills gap and create educational opportunities to support future roles. Despite Milton Keynes’ reputation as a burgeoning hub for technology, finance, logistics, and professional services, this growth is hindered by an enduring skills shortage. 

Milton Keynes is ideally positioned for business success. Its location, excellent transport links, and network of business support make it attractive for start-ups and established companies alike. However, the absence of a traditional undergraduate university and insufficient investment in higher education opportunities have created a stubborn skills gap. This challenge is well-documented in the City Council’s MK City Plan 2050, which emphasises the necessity of better access to education and skills training as crucial to strengthening our economic role.

Local businesses frequently report difficulties in filling vacancies due to a lack of skilled candidates, as reflected in SEMLEP’s 2023 Business Survey, where 45% of businesses reported recruitment challenges.

Of course, this skills gap is not only evident within Milton Keynes but is reflective of a broader national trend. The 2019 Employer Skills Survey noted that 24% of vacancies in England are attributed to skills shortages, and a 17% deficit in basic digital skills was reported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

Industries such as life sciences, technology, and sustainability are evolving at a breakneck pace, necessitating the urgent upskilling of current workers to maintain our competitive edge. While the government’s Skills England initiative to build a highly trained workforce across the UK should help to increase the talent pool, businesses must forge stronger links with educational providers and be agile and open to new opportunities to attract and retain talent.

Nicholas Mann with Sally Alexander, principal and chief executive of Milton Keynes College at the launch of the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards 2025. Milton Keynes College is one of the headline sponsors.

While some local businesses engage with educational institutions, many do not, leaving a significant portion of young talent untapped. This issue is compounded by reports that qualified young people often lack ‘work readiness,’ exhibiting insufficient experience and a poor understanding of essential workplace behaviours.

While our skills providers must continue to collaborate with businesses to address these needs, the business community in Milton Keynes has a pivotal role to play. We cannot expect educational institutions to produce graduates that meet our needs without engaging with them. We must communicate our short, medium, and long-term needs effectively and support schools and colleges by providing regular work experience and internship opportunities.

Milton Keynes is uniquely positioned to address the challenge. Our business community is vibrant and proactive. Local educational institutions like Milton Keynes College, The Open University, and MK are already in partnership with many businesses to meet economic demands. The South Central Institute of Technology is another key player, delivering technology skills in collaboration with employers—which is of particular significance since the city’s technology and digital industries account for one in every three jobs.

While a residential undergraduate university would significantly bolster our efforts, we must work with what we have, leveraging our strengths to bridge the skills gap. The rewards for getting this right are immense and the availability of skilled workers and a stronger talent pool will directly impact economic growth.

By focusing on this theme for the MKBAA 2025, we aim to energise the dialogue around skills development and drive real change. It is an invitation to not just talk about solutions, but also to implement them, ensuring Milton Keynes remains a leader in innovation and productivity.

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