Britain | Nice to have

Britain’s biggest skills problem is that many firms don’t value them

Too many jobs require virtually no education

Trainee engineers from BT Openreach, a unit of BT Group Plc, carry out work at the top of telegraph poles at the company's training facility at West Hanningfield, U.K., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The U.K.'s communications regulator, seeking to spur a roll-out of fiber broadband to homes and businesses, is proposing changes to BT Group Plc's network to ease access for competitors. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Image: Getty Images

Should you wish to know the best way to carry a hot coffee or avoid backache, Britain’s employers have you covered. But set your sights a bit higher than health-and-safety briefings—on courses that risk making you better at your job, say—and the chance of disappointment soars.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “No skills required”

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