Skills shortage for more than half of firms

Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.

1. More than half of Scottish firms are struggling with skills shortages, according to research.

The Business Barometer, produced by the Open University and the British Chambers of Commerce, said that 56 per cent of Scottish respondents reported difficulties in finding skilled staff. That was lower than the UK average of 62 per cent.

The researchers found that 38 per cent of Scottish companies planned to use mentoring or coaching over the next 12 months to help develop their workforce, while 32 per cent indicated they would take on apprentices.

David Allen, senior partnerships manager at the Open University in Scotland, said: “While it’s encouraging that the