How to stand out from the crowd

The Government measures are all positive steps towards helping those who are unemployed, it is undeniable that whether you are looking for work or are trying to safeguard current employment, training and upskilling will help you to maintain a competitive edge and ensure that you stand out from the crowd.

With many employers looking to consolidate headcounts, it is likely that businesses will be demanding more from their remaining contractors and employees. By continually training existing workforces, knowledge and skills can be utilised internally and companies can therefore safeguard existing talent.

Jason Greaves, Head of Commercial Staffing at employment specialists Manpower UK, comments: "People and their skills will always be a company's greatest asset, therefore employers should where possible, take the opportunity now to upskill and even re-train their existing staff so they will be in a strong position when the economy recovers. Employees and contractors can take the initiative by staying flexible and undertaking extra training in areas that are important to their company's industry in a bid to safeguard their position."

Although, the economic downturn has meant that in many cases internal training budgets have been cut, employees and contractors should explore alternative training options. Many local universities and colleges offer evening courses in core business skills and recruitment agencies such as Manpower offer jobseekers free training courses.

Jason continues: "The importance of training cannot be underestimated. Keeping on top of advancements in key areas relevant to your industry will help give you a competitive edge, which is especially important during an economic downturn. At Manpower we offer seven free courses to registered candidates to enhance the quality of their applications. Manpower also offers access to over 1,100 courses and 5,000 hours of free e-learning covering everything from improving your customer service skills to mastering the very latest desktop software to Manpower temps and employees."