'Difficult' for small businesses to find skilled workers

Date: 28th February 2008

Small firms can lack the time and resources needed to find and recruit skilled workers, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has claimed.

It also was also suggested that small companies have difficulty recruiting skilled migrant workers because they are unfamiliar with their qualifications.

The FSB recommends that small business owners research international qualifications and find out how they compare to UK standards.

Belinda Webb, a spokesperson for the FSB, claims small companies often have trouble recruiting workers with necessary skills because they are snapped up by bigger firms.

"Highly qualified people tend to go for big businesses so when small businesses do get applicants that have a good level of expertise and good qualifications they do really want to get hold of them," Ms Webb commented.

A report commissioned by the Trade Union Congress revealed that migrant workers are often as skilled as their British counterparts and could make a much greater contribution to small businesses if their qualifications were recognised.