EMPLOYERS TO STEP UP SKILLS INVESTMENT AS COVID TRANSFORMS WORK  41% of employers plan on increasing investment in training compared with pre-COVID levels in response to accelerating changes to work, according to the 2021 CBI / Birkbeck, University of London Education and Skills Survey.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a shift towards remote working, with a large majority of firms also citing changes in employee engagement and reappraisal of office space.

Government should immediately update the shortage occupations lists for roles including butchers, bricklayers, and welders to protect the competitiveness of the UK's economic recovery, and align immigration and education policies to help workers gain skills that are needed for shortage roles.

THIS IS THE MOMENT TO CHANGE OUR ECONOMY – WE WILL NEVER GET A BETTER CHANCE – @CBItweets SETS OUT NEW UK ECONOMIC STRATEGY   Tony Danker, CBI Director-General, today (Monday) outlines findings from a new, landmark economic plan seeking to establish a competitive, dynamic and future-focussed UK following the shocks of Brexit and COVID-19 and in the run up to COP26 in Glasgow.

@CBItweets - Action to tackle skills gaps, attract investment and improve digital infrastructure is needed to tackle pockets of low productivity.