Rise of the Multi-Skilled Workforce as Employers ‘Reimagine’ Roles to Tackle Skills Gaps
As one of the founding partners of the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology (IoT), Preston College is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the regional skills landscape – preparing students for an evolving world of work where multi-skilled employees are in high demand.
The Skills Barometer 2025, recently released by the IoT, offers a deep dive into the changing face of the workforce across Lancashire and Cumbria. The report highlights how employers – from manufacturers to healthcare providers – are rethinking traditional roles to address persistent skills shortages and embrace emerging technologies.
Preston College’s influence is particularly evident in its focus on digitally enhanced learning across construction, healthcare, counselling and engineering. Construction workers are being equipped with digital and green skills through a curriculum that allows them to diagnose building conditions using advanced technologies before work begins. Meanwhile, counselling students are developing the digital capabilities needed to deliver virtual therapy sessions in response to growing demand for remote mental health support.
This forward-thinking approach reflects the core purpose of the Lancashire and Cumbria IoT, a collaboration of eight FE colleges and three universities including Preston College. The IoT works directly with employers to shape technical training that aligns with real-world industry needs, particularly across six key sectors: engineering and manufacturing, automotive, computing and digital, construction, health and medical, and science.
The Barometer found that businesses are increasingly looking for employees who combine traditional technical skills with digital fluency, soft skills, and adaptability. For example, Leyland Trucks now requires staff with knowledge of data analytics and robotics in addition to engineering expertise. Other regional businesses report they are using tech not to replace staff but to enhance their roles.
Preston-based Pettit Singleton Associates, a building services design consultancy, addressed its engineering talent gap by nurturing individuals progressing from other trades. Managing Director Jimmy Dobson noted that while technical skills can often be taught quickly, soft skills and commercial awareness are far harder to install.
Linda Dean, managing director of Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology, says “Multi-skilled roles are the new reality for businesses across Lancashire and Cumbria and it’s exciting to see how businesses are stepping up and adapting. These stories of manufacturers investing in cobots or healthcare workers needing data analytical skills reflect a wider trend where the workforce is evolving faster than ever. For those willing to invest in skills and rethink job roles, it’s a huge opportunity to futureproof their business.”
Preston College continues to closely collaborate with employers to align technical training with industry needs, and ultimately ensuring learners are not just employable today – but future-ready.
The new Skills Barometer 2025, gathered insights from businesses and industry experts across the region and asks three core questions:
- What are the skills gaps now?
- What skills will be needed in the next 3–5 years?
- What do employers need from education providers?
Its key findings confirm a growing demand for cross-disciplinary skills, with digital and AI knowledge becoming vital across all sectors. Employers also continue to rank soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and accountability as equally important as technical qualifications.
Linda continues: “In almost every sector, digital fluency is no longer optional, it’s essential. We’re building workforces where job titles might not change but what those roles look like will. Our role, as an IoT, is to make sure the training we offer evolves just as fast as the jobs themselves and collaboration is essential to bridging these gaps.”
The Lancashire and Cumbria IoT includes: Preston College, Blackpool and The Fylde College, Burnley College, Blackburn College, Nelson and Colne College, Runshaw College, Lakes College, and Lancashire and Morecambe College, alongside the University of Central Lancashire, Edge Hill University and Lancaster University.
👉 Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/skills-barometer-2025
For more information about the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology at Preston College Click Here
