In this Insights In Focus episode, we explore strategies to expand and upskill Britain’s workforce. 

Low unemployment is currently twinned with high vacancies, leading to a tight labour market. One cause is an increase in the number of economically inactive. And ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor has flagged a lack of non-management skills as an escalating challenge for the nation’s employers. 
 
So, how can we tackle these big, structural problems in the economy? Host Philippa Lamb discusses possible solutions with Suren Thiru, ICAEW Economies Director; Dan Lucy, HR Research and Consulting Director at the Institute for Employment Studies; and April Homer, Chief People Officer at accountancy practice Cooper Parry. 
 
Links  
ICAEW Resilience and Renewal hub 
https://www.icaew.com/technical/economy/resilience-and-renewal 
 
ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor 
https://www.icaew.com/technical/economy/business-confidence-monitor  
 
Host 
Philippa Lamb 
 
Guests 
Suren Thiru, Director, Economies, ICAEW  
Daniel Lucy, Director, HR Research and Consulting, Institute for Employment Studies  
April Homer, Chief People Officer, Cooper Parry   
 
Producer 
Natalie Chisholm 
 
Episode first published: 27 October 2023 
Podcast recorded: 18 October 2023