Read: Continue to invest in the workforce to boost employment

This week the Office for National Statistics reported that the number of workers on company payrolls increased in August, returning to pre-pandemic levels in most regions across the UK. The number of job vacancies also surged to an all-time high of more than one million, for the first time since records began in 2001, across every industry sector.

It’s a great step forward for the country’s recovery following the pandemic and lockdown restrictions which had such a massive impact on our economy and on jobs. But there are also warning signs that the high demand for staff - and a potential shortage of skilled labour to meet it - could hamper this progress. The recovery is not an even one, with London, the south east and Scotland faring less well, and it is still young people who are continuing to bear the brunt.

That picture shows that levelling up remains a national challenge and it’s important that business works with government to foster the talent that undoubtedly exists across the country, particularly for those who face the greatest barriers.

Working with organisations in the Purpose Coalition, I can see the steps that many businesses are already taking to make a difference – outreach with their local communities to provide careers advice and mentoring so that they know opportunities exist for people like them, access to work experience and apprenticeships for those with the least advantage and the use of open recruitment practices that promote a level playing field. Those with the greatest sense of purpose, who see beyond the traditional corporate marketing approach, will reap the greatest rewards.

The best businesses will also need to look closely at their retention strategies to ensure that their existing employees share their sense of purpose and are therefore invested in the company and engaged in its aims. A culture of inclusion, of fitting in no matter where you come from or what your background, is key. So too is a need to provide training opportunities to continually upskill staff, especially in the most crucial sectors, to fill the vacancies demanded by a new green, high-tech economy.  

The country’s recovery is looking strong but it’s important that businesses rise to the challenge of  reaching into every community to find the talent it needs to build back even better.

Rt Hon Lord Walney, UK gornment’s independent adviser on Political Violence and Disruption in the House of Lords.