Since the introduction of the Job Retention Scheme across the UK in March 2020, furloughed employees were not permitted to carry out any work or revenue-generating activities for their employer. Furloughed employees could, however, undertake training.

In light of the financial hardship that many organisations have suffered at as a result of the pandemic, it is no surprise that committing resources to upskilling and training furloughed employees may not have been at the forefront of employers' minds. Many furloughed workers in the UK have had less training opportunities than their counterparts in other countries such as France, Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands. It was recently estimated that 94% of UK workers lack the skills they will require in 2030 to perform well in their employment.

Employers recognise the benefits of having a workforce who are well-trained on the competencies and tasks specific to their role and who are up to date with wider business, commercial and financial topics relevant to their role and organisation. Good training assists in creating a workforce who feel confident and competent in carrying out their roles and feel motivated to do so by an employer that has an interest in their development and success.

With the end of the Job Retention Scheme in sight, many furloughed employees have been and will be returning to work, whether remotely or in person. For a substantial proportion, the working landscape has changed drastically since the beginning of the pandemic and employers and employees alike will be aware that furloughed employees' skill sets may not be fully up to date with that new environment.

So, what steps can employers take to hep furloughed staff returning to work? Training, whether that be refreshers on longstanding topics or entirely new training on the different work situation will certainly assist. This could include:

• Training on COVID Secure health and safety measures required by the workplace
• Organising refreshers on IT/administration skills
• Enrolling employees on internal or external courses relevant to their role
• Making employees aware of free courses they can attend to upskill
• Organising social events, whether remote or in person, to allow colleagues to reconnect, with a view to reducing the likelihood of social anxiety on their return to work
• Organising training sessions on business, commercial and financial topics relevant to their job role and/or the organisation

Top tip: Try to reduce the number of Zoom 'lectures' wherever possible – make the sessions interactive by using quizzes, polls, or carry out the training in person.