While national data points to a softening jobs market, Strive is seeing a different but closely connected trend on the ground, a surge in adults actively seeking retraining as a route back into employment.
Across its delivery areas, the UK-based vocational training provider is seeing a marked rise in applications from individuals looking to upskill or reskill in response to changing labour market conditions. In several regions, demand is now outstripping funded capacity, resulting in waiting lists and constrained enrolment despite clear learner readiness.
Jonny Phillips, Managing Director, Strive Training, said: “Whenever unemployment rises, we see an immediate behavioural shift. People do not wait. They look for practical, employment-focused training that can help them re-enter the workforce quickly. The appetite to retrain is strong and decisive.
“As of this week, we have 452 learners waiting for funded places on our courses, the highest number we have ever seen. We are even holding back from attending some Jobcentre and jobs fair activity because we know additional referrals would only add to waiting lists we cannot currently service. That is the reality providers are facing on the ground.
“What we are experiencing at present is not a lack of ambition across the system. Government investment in skills is significant and welcome. However, when labour market conditions change quickly, providers can struggle to scale delivery at the same pace.”
The latest figures state that the UK unemployment rate has risen to 5.2%, its highest level in nearly five years, and youth unemployment remains particularly elevated, with the jobless rate for 18 to 24-year-olds around 14%.
“There are more people chasing fewer vacancies now. When that happens, people look for anything that gives them an advantage. That usually means training, and that means unemployed people are looking for an added advantage in the job market. That means skills,” continued Phillips.
“Our colleagues in Jobcentres are equally committed to moving people into training and back into work, and in some cases are frustrated that they cannot refer more individuals than current allocations allow. The issue is not willingness, it is capacity.”
Strive Training emphasises that moments of labour market volatility present both risk and opportunity. Where demand for retraining is demonstrably high, ensuring funded provision can scale quickly may help prevent motivated learners from facing delays at precisely the point they are ready to act.
With unemployment figures once again in focus, the national conversation should include not only headline statistics, but also the operational realities facing providers tasked with delivering rapid, employment-focused skills programmes on the ground.
