The Law as Gamekeeper? Skills Poaching and Training in the UK

Abstract

Employers and government are becoming increasingly concerned at the shortage of trained manpower. In some sectors, employers are reacting to this problem by “poaching” skilled staff, using “headhunters” and attractive remuneration packages to entice individuals to quit their current employment. In the face of this, some employers have argued that their incentive to provide and finance training is being reduced, since staff turnover denies them a return on their training investment. To the extent that this is true, such developments threaten to undermine any attempt to increase the level of training in the UK.